NBA Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks’ Brandan Wright Is One of NBA’s Most Efficient Players

Fresh Videos

By @DSchultz89

Brandan Wright NBA Mavs

Getty Images

When it comes to the most efficient players in the NBA, many think of star players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. Let’s be honest; Brandan Wright of the Dallas Mavericks is probably not one of the first names that comes to mind, and rightly so, being that he is a reserve player who only plays 19.3 MPG.

However, what Wright has done to begin this season has been extraordinary. He is currently No. 2 in PER rating with a 29.89, where he trails only Davis. He is shooting an absurd 77 percent from the field, to go along with 10.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.5 BPG. He is essentially the perfect “moneyball” kind of player any team would love to have, being that he only makes $5 million with the Mavericks this season and his production has been outstanding. Based on his play so far, he can expect a bump in pay if he continues to perform at this level.

This is not to suggest that Wright will become a star in the league, being that he is fairly limited in what he can do, especially on the offensive end of the floor. But one must give credit to how he utilizes his strengths and does not try to do anything he knows is outside his comfort zone.

Based on his stats in limited minutes, many might view Wright as perhaps deserving of a bigger role in the future considering his impressive numbers so far. However, I believe the 27-year-old has definitely found a perfect niche as an energy player off the bench who can score off the pick and roll thanks to his athleticism. He is also a capable defender thanks to his great length which allows him to block a lot of shots while he is on the floor.

Asking him to be anything more than what he is now will definitely be a tall task, being that he does not really possess a consistent back-to-the-basket game and his jump shot is just so-so. With that said, he has really mastered the art of the pick and roll, diving to the basket once he gets the ball back and making sure the defense either fouls him or gets out of the way completely on his drives.

Because of this aggressive style of play, Wright is definitely a candidate so far for “Sixth Man of the Year,” although granted it’s very early in the season. It will be interesting to see if Wright can continue to shoot at a very high percentage as the year goes on, but he has already proven he is one of the best role players in the NBA with how efficient of a player he is.

Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on