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While the Mavericks were busy getting curb stomped by the Pacers on Thursday, there was a lot going on in the world of college hoops and the NBA Draft, a world Dallas is going to have get more comfortable with over the next few months. The big story in the first day of action in the Sweet 16 was the play of Syracuse sophomore PG Michael Carter-Williams, who carried his team to a convincing victory over the Hoosiers.
Over at the SBN mothership, I've got a look at what the performance can tell us about Carter-Williams' pro prospects:
In a one-and-done scenario, a bad match-up can sink even the best teams. That happened to tournament favorite Indiana in the Sweet 16, when they ran into Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams. A 6'6, 185-pound point guard with a lightning-quick first step, his size and speed changed the game on both sides of the ball. The big knock on him this season has been his poor outside shot. Against the Hoosiers, he showed how dominant he can be when he's knocking down three-pointers.
The concerns are obvious. Beyond the fact that he shoplifted a bathrobe (which will never get old to me) in the middle of the season, his shooting numbers are atrocious for a PG: 40/29/70.
However, at the same time, he'll be the tallest PG in the NBA and one of the quickest too. He's got next-level passing ability and his size will allow him to play with a lot of different types of players. In Dallas, for instance, he'd make O.J. Mayo a much better player because he would draw the longer perimeter defender.
Right now, Draft Express has Michigan PG Trey Burke going at No. 10 and Carter-Williams at No. 15. Those are the two guys I would be looking at very closely if I were the Mavs. The question is whether a strong run in the Tournament will push them out of that range come draft time.
For those watching the Tourney, who do y'all think would be a good fit for Dallas? I get the feeling the Mavs will end up shopping the pick anyway (Eric Bledsoe?) but the more players that are available, the more valuable it will be in trade talks.