2024-25 Mavericks Player Cards: Naji Marshall

Derrick Jones Jr. was a success story—Can Marshall fill his spot?

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Naji Marshall joins a long line of wing players the Mavericks have brought in to do the dirty work and bolster the defense alongside Luka Dončić and, more recently, Kyrie Irving. When Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, and Maxi Kleber were at their best, the Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals. Last season, P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr., along with upgrades at center, helped propel the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Can the 6-foot-7, 220-pound Marshall step in for Jones Jr. and become the next success story?

Comparisons to Jones Jr. are unavoidable; the Mavericks signed Marshall to a three-year, $27 million deal as a backup plan when it became clear that re-signing Jones Jr. was not going to materialize. This is why the comparison to Jones Jr. will be a big part of this player card analysis. From a distance, it doesn’t seem like there’s a significant difference: almost identical career averages of around 19 minutes, 7 points, and 3 rebounds per game. Both being mostly bench players who earn their paycheck through defense.

But stylistically, they are quite different. Marshall may not be 'Airplane Mode' athletic, but he is much more versatile. His ex-teammate Zion Williamson called him a 'Swiss Army knife,' a nickname later shortened to 'The Knife' by coach Willie Green to emphasize his toughness and never-back-down mentality.

Jones Jr. was a great success last season, but the Finals exposed some of his limitations. Can Marshall step up and fill that role more effectively?

2023-24 key stats: 66 games played, 1 game started | 19.0 minutes, 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game | 46.3 percent field goal (Note: These are Marshall’s 2023-24 stats with the Pelicans).

Projected role in 2023-24: First wing defender off the bench. See early August rotation analysis for more.

Archetype on offense: Slashing wing, playmaking wing

Archetype on defense: Point of attack defender, wing defender

A stat that stands out: It’s not just one stat, but a combination of them that highlights the "Swiss Army knife" versatility Green mentioned. And it’s not just his coach who praised Marshall’s versatility; Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels, also one of my favorites, described him as a wing who can not only shoot but also handle the ball and make plays on the move. Not that I’m doubting the opinions of the much smarter NBA people than me, but you know I had to back up those claims with data.

Source: Second Spectrum data; last 3 seasons; per 100 = per 100 possessions

If you’re not familiar with Marshall’s game, you might be surprised to see him ranking at the top of the list among past and current Mavericks’ wing options in every category related to dribble drives and self-creation. Marshall has the highest average touch length, average dribble length, share of self-created shots, and drive-and-assist rate among all ten players in my comparison.

Technically, Marshall would rank second if we include James Johnson, who had a brief stint with the Mavericks in the 2020-21 season. I add Johnson to the list because he’s the closest comparison to Marshall in terms of ball-handling and offensive flair, while also playing a defensive enforcer role. Regardless of how you view my comparisons, Marshall has the potential to be the most versatile 3-and-D wing the Mavericks have had in recent history. He certainly is a much better off-the-catch operator than Jones Jr., who was quite limited in that regard.

Marshall's eagerness to drive can sometimes backfire; he occasionally overestimates his abilities, leading to a relatively high turnover rate.

A stat that makes me think: I mentioned that Marshall isn’t the athlete Jones Jr. is, which affects his driving game. He gets to the rim less frequently than Jones Jr., and, more problematically, he is a much worse finisher once he gets there. Marshall isn’t a leaper or dunker, and his layups are often awkward. He shot just 63 percent at the rim over the last three seasons, the lowest mark among all ten Mavericks wing options in my comparison.

Marshall has compensated for that by developing a floater and mid-range game. He took the most non-rim shots in the paint per 100 possessions among our group, has the second-most total floater attempts behind only Washington, and converts them at a surprisingly high rate (53 percent over the last three seasons, compared to Washington's 48 percent). His overall mid-range accuracy is slightly worse than Washington's but still a notch above any other wing in my comparison. Marshall showed improvement in this area last season, as he did with his three-point shot (more on that soon).

Key play that intrigued (and I would like to see more of): One underrated aspect of Marshall's versatility is his ability to drive and bully his way to the paint when defended by smaller players. Once he creates space, he can finish with his floater over the defender.

The ability to exploit size mismatches is something most of his predecessors—like Jones Jr., Finney-Smith, Kleber, and Josh Green—lacked. It's also something I highlighted for Washington in his player card. Teams regularly tried to hide their smallest defenders, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, and Mike Conley, on Jones Jr., or they placed a roaming rim-protecting big, like Kristaps Porzingis, to help against him during the playoffs. If Marshall can keep his turnovers in check and maintain his high floater accuracy, his driving ability could prove valuable against both of these tactics.

Key Question: Was last year’s three-point improvement for real?

While all that versatility is valuable, Marshall’s ability to make three-pointers consistently will ultimately determine its impact. Marshall, like Washington and Jones Jr., has been an inconsistent three-point shooter so far in his career. 'Inconsistent' might be an overstatement given his career average of 31.3 percent, which is even slightly worse than Jones Jr.'s 31.6 percent. Looking at the past three seasons, Marshall was the least accurate shooter in my comparison—though more willing than Jones Jr. and Green—if we exclude Johnson. Not great, and a concerning aspect of his game.

Source: Second Spectrum data; last 3 seasons; per 100 = per 100 possessions

There is hope for an optimistic take: During the same period, 40 percent of Marshall's three-point attempts were heavily contested. In comparison, only 25 percent of Jones Jr.'s attempts, 33 percent of Finney-Smith's, and 35 percent of Green's were contested. Like every other 3-and-D player in Dallas, Marshall should benefit from cleaner looks playing alongside Dončić.

Last season, Marshall shot an encouraging 39 percent from three on 150 attempts. If that improvement proves to be real and he can maintain a percentage in the 36-39 range, the Mavericks will have a wing defender who can not only shoot but also dribble, drive, and pass a bit.

What’s next (what to expect next season): So far, this analysis has focused on Marshall's offense, but the main role he will need to fill following Jones Jr.'s departure is that of a primary on-ball and wing defender.

Compared to Jones Jr., Marshall is a better isolation defender, particularly against stronger wings like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard or players who score by bumping and creating space, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Marshall has a stronger chest that enables him to absorb contact and more disruptive handwork. On the flip side, Jones Jr. is a much more nimble and fluid athlete, making him better at chasing off screens, recovering, and contesting shots from behind in pick-and-roll situations. Jones Jr. can block shots, protect the rim from the weak-side and is slightly better on the offensive glass, Marshall is a better defensive rebounder. Marshall is also a high-energy, emotionally charged, physical defender, which can sometimes lead to lapses in discipline and risky gambles. The good news is that Jason Kidd will have multiple options for defending the opponent’s best scorers, including Marshall, Washington, Quentin Grimes, and Dante Exum. Along with Dereck Lively II patrolling the backline, this should help mitigate some of Marshall's downsides while emphasizing his strengths.

Lastly, what fans should be most excited about with Naji Marshall is his physicality. The Mavericks haven’t had many strong, in-your-face types during the Luka era, but now they have two with Marshall and Washington.

Need more convincing? Antonio Daniels called Marshall the toughest guy on the Pelicans last season and promised that Luka won’t ever be pushed around with Marshall on the court. That alone should fire you up for next season!