Who Will Shine On The Wing For The Mavericks This Season?

With Luka Doncic being the primary ball-handler for this team and acting as the “point guard” for the team, the Mavericks have a lot of options on who they want to start on the wing. Tim Hardaway Jr and Dorian Finney-Smith put up solid numbers last season and each can help the Mavericks in different ways on the court. 

Tim Hardaway Jr. averaged 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and shot 39.8% from three-point range last season for the Mavericks. He is expected to resume his role as the team’s starting shooting guard this upcoming season and with Seth Curry no longer on the team, he will be the Mavs top three-point shooting threat.

After starting 68 out of 71 regular season games he played in last season, Dorian Finney-Smith may be utilized off-the-bench this year due to the arrival of Josh Richardson, who we will touch on shortly. Finney-Smith struggled to make an impact early on in his career with Dallas, but in his fourth season last year, he emerged as a “3-and-D” type of player, shooting 37.6% from the three-point line and being one of the Mavs best perimeter defenders. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, D.F.S. will continue to have a big impact this season.

The Mavericks traded Seth Curry to the 76ers this offseason, but received Josh Richardson in return, who is a proven two-way player on the wing. Standing about 6’5”, Richardson is more than capable of guarding virtually any perimeter player as a result of his lengthy wingspan and his quick feet. While he had a down year shooting last season, Richardson is another kick-out option for Doncic on the wing and will likely be the player with the biggest impact on the wing for Dallas this season. 

With Tim Hardaway Jr. drawing a lot of attention as a three-point threat, Josh Richardson should get a lot of opportunities in catch-and-shoot scenarios on the offensive end of the court, and he could pair up with Dorian Finney-Smith on the defensive end of the court to give the Mavericks one of the better defensive wing duos in the West.

All three of these guys will have big impacts with the Mavericks this season on the wing and are three role players that will need to step up for the Mavericks to make a deep playoff run.