Dallas made a bold move before the season started by putting Naji Marshall in charge of the backup point guard spot. This decision puts a huge burden on a player who has never been a traditional floor general. According to The Smoking Cuban, the team is clear that Marshall will run the second unit while Kyrie Irving rests. It is a high-stakes test for a guy who just played his second season with the squad.
The worry is real because Marshall isn’t built like a standard point guard. He stands 6-foot-6 and thrives when attacking the rim, not when setting up others from the perimeter. According to The Smoking Cuban, his three-point shooting fell below 30 percent in both of the most recent seasons. Throughout his entire career, he has never reached an average of 3.3 assists per game. Those numbers suggest he might struggle to create advantages in the pick-and-roll or make the right reads when the defense collapses.
Defense Could Take a Hit
There is a bigger issue than just offense. Marshall’s defense has slipped over the last two years, and playing more on offense could make it worse. His defensive rating was above 114 in both of his last seasons with Dallas. That is a sharp drop from the 106.8 rating he posted with the Pelicans in 2023-24. According to The Smoking Cuban, he plays with great energy and physicality, but being the main creator might drain the effort he needs to lock down opponents.
Marshall was great last year when he led the offense, but the team only won 26 games. While converting 51 percent of his field goal attempts, he posted a career-best average of 15.2 points per game. That success came while Irving sat out with an ACL tear. Now that Irving is back, making Marshall the primary creator again could limit the team’s ceiling. He is best as a high-energy partner to a star, not as the guy who has to run the show every night.
Can He Handle the Load?
The Mavericks need their bench to be a spark, not a black hole. If Marshall can’t handle the playmaking duties, the team’s depth becomes a major weakness. He has the tools to be a good defender, but the role demands too much of his energy. The Smoking Cuban observes that he has yet to demonstrate consistent ability to make reads at the second and third levels. Without those skills, the offense could stall when the starters sit.
Dusty May faces a tough choice if things go wrong. The team needs someone who can score and defend, but Marshall might be too one-dimensional for this specific job. If the defense slips or the offense grinds to a halt, the Mavericks will have to rethink this plan fast. The regular season is here, and the pressure is on to see if Naji can rise to the occasion or if this experiment will fall apart.
