The Mavs’ deadline-day acquisition of Nerlens Noel via trade with Philadelphia was the big headline-grabber yesterday around here, but another story developed in wake of a separate roster move: Dallas now appears to be handing the point guard reins to rookie Yogi Ferrell.
Dallas requested waivers on veteran point guard Deron Williams yesterday, leaving 23-year-old Ferrell as the presumed starter for the remainder of the regular season. The rookie compounded one of the best 10-day contract performances in NBA history into a solid first 10 games, and now the Mavs are now betting big that Ferrell can extend his strong run, at least for the next 26 games.
“I think that he’s got a really bright future, and he’s gonna be given a terrific opportunity here,” GM Donnie Nelson said.
Who exactly surrounds Ferrell as he plays out that opportunity is for head coach Rick Carlisle to decide. The Mavs have found success over the last month starting Dirk Nowitzki at center and Harrison Barnes at power forward with Seth Curry playing off-guard. The addition of Noel obviously complicates that picture, with Nelson all but confirming that the 22-year-old center will start almost immediately. That means Curry could come off the bench, or perhaps the Mavs will adjust their starting lineup based on nightly matchups. It’s unclear at this point.
Nelson doesn’t believe that Ferrell’s slight frame, which the rookie himself said on The Post Up Podcast might have been the reason he went undrafted last summer (listen below for the full interview), would be a big issue should he become a full-time starter at this level.
“There’s not a lot of post-ups that take place with point guards, and that’s why I think you see things going in the backcourt maybe a little smaller,” Nelson said. “Boston has certainly (with Isaiah Thomas) — that success pretty much speaks for itself.”
Ferrell makes up for any size disadvantage with what proprietor Mark Cuban describes as superior pick-dodging ability. We often think of defending the pick-and-roll as more of a big man’s job, but the smaller defender can certainly make life difficult on opposing players, as well. In combination with Noel, an elite athlete at center, Ferrell could make up one-half of the better defensive pick-and-roll tandems in the NBA.
“We love his energy, his enthusiasm for the game,” Carlisle said of the point guard. “He goes hard. He’s proven that he can defend some of the really good, quick point guards well. You don’t stop those guys, but you can make it hard on them. And he’s obviously had some good stretches of scoring the ball. So, for him, I want him to stay in the process of being a threat to score on offense and, off of that, being able to make plays, get other people set up. And defensively, just keep playing at a high energy level, play without fouling, be in a hit-first mode.”
Ferrell gives the Mavs their best defensive presence at point guard in the starting lineup in years, and Noel is already one of the best defensive centers in the NBA. That dynamic is going to be interesting to watch in the coming seasons, assuming both are Mavericks long-term. Ferrell is under contract through next season, and while Noel could become a restricted free agent this summer — meaning the Mavs have the right to match any competing offer — Nelson said he believes Noel will be here beyond this season, as long as everything works out.
Offensively, the duo can combine for some serious fireworks as well. Ferrell has exceptional quickness, part of the reason he fit in so easily in the first place. He’s spent most of his minutes playing with Dirk Nowitzki, the best friend a point guard can have in this league. If Ferrell plays with both at the same time, he’ll be able to choose between running pick-and-pop with the best jump-shooting big man ever or pick-and-roll with one of the most athletic centers in the league. It’s an intriguing proposition to be sure, especially considering Ferrell is also capable of scoring outbursts; he’s averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists through 10 games with the Mavericks.
At just 23 years old, Ferrell is one of the youngest players on the team. Noel, 22, is the youngest. Harrison Barnes, meanwhile, is still just 24 years old, Dwight Powell is 25, and Seth Curry is only 26. Nico Brussino (23) and A.J. Hammons (24) continue to develop at both the NBA and D-League level, as well, and we might see more of them down the stretch of this season, depending on what happens in the playoff race.
The move to push Ferrell into the starting lineup — and waiving Williams to do so — is perhaps the strongest indication of any move Dallas has made this season that the franchise is committed to establishing and developing the emerging young core it’s built in less than one year. Powell is the only player on the roster younger than 30 years old who was on the team last season. Now, more than half of the roster is younger than 27, and the starting point guard is the Mavs’ youngest since Devin Harris ran point in his first stint with the team.
Not only is Yogimania here to stay, but it’s being pushed to the very forefront. He may or may not be the future, but Ferrell is, for now, firmly the present.
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