Mavs Mock Draft Taylor Hendricks at No. 17 - But Will Dallas Own Pick?
The Dallas Mavericks project to have the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, marking their only selection of the day.
USA Today's For the Win forecasts University of Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks to be selected by the Mavericks, having this to say about his impact at the collegiate level thus far:
"UCF’s Taylor Hendricks is currently the only high-major freshman to connect on at least 30 dunks and 30 shots from beyond the arc so far this season, per Bart Torvik. Hendricks has also maintained the lowest turnover percentage of anyone else on record to meet those same qualifications," FTW mentioned. "Outside of Alabama’s Miller, according to Bart Torvik, he has been the best freshman in college basketball this season."
The NBA has gone the way of three-pointers and dunks, and Hendricks provides high-efficiency looks from the two most exploited zones on the NBA floor.
Hendricks shoots 48.8 percent from the floor, 41.3 percent from the three-point line, and 79.6 percent from the charity stripe to the tune of 15.6 points per game. He's had six double-doubles in 30 games played as well as seven games with three or more blocks.
The Mavericks sacrificed noteworthy perimeter defense in exchange for generational offensive talent when they traded Dorian Finney Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Kyrie Irving. As a result, they've conceded 120 points or more to opposing teams in five of their nine games since the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
This leaves the door open for a two-way forward who can catch-and-shoot in Dallas' half-court offense, and help improve the No. 24 ranked team in defensive rating (115.7). The Mavericks have two players on their active 12-man roster -- Josh Green and Jaden Hardy -- under the age of 23, as they look to add more youth to their depth chart.
It's worth noting that the Mavs' selection conveys to the Knicks if it's not a top-10 pick, which would eliminate the idea of a "get'' at No. 17. But the Mavs need to do their homework here, as do we. So we analyze what we know for now.
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