NBA PM: Evans Will Benefit from Move to Dallas

Over the past five years with the Utah Jazz, Jeremy Evans appeared in an average of just 44 games a season. He played in over 60 contests in just one of those seasons, and holds a career average of just 10.8 minutes per game.

For one reason or another, he couldn’t seem to earn heavy minutes with the Jazz. All of that seems poised to change this season as he prepares for his first season with the Dallas Mavericks.

In Basketball Insiders’ season preview of the Mavericks, Evans was highlighted as a player who could be in for a big season. The team is still not as healthy as they’d like to be (with Wes Matthews and Chandler Parsons still down) and their frontcourt isn’t as deep as in past years, which could mean Evans could log some significant minutes this season at multiple positions.

After hearing Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle talk about Evans, it seems inevitable that he’ll see a variety of different roles this season. Dallas signed Evans to a two-year deal at the league minimum back in July, and many thought Evans would be just an end-of-the-bench player. He was projected to see minimal playing time behind so many talented players. That was in July. Fast forward three months later and we’re now hearing that Evans could play as many as three positions.

“I don’t think that’s a long shot,” Carlisle told reporters on Tuesday if Evans would be playing three different positions. “He’s a hard worker and all that, but he [also] has the skill set. He has the athletic ability. He’s shooting the ball now at the three-point range. I’m confident he can guard all of those positions and he’s a guy that we’re going to need to play multiple spots.”

Coming into the season, it was Matthews who was pegged as the team’s best defensive player. Now that we know he’ll be sidelined for a little bit longer, it could be Evans who emerges as one of the team’s best defenders. We’ve seen his 45-inch vertical on display in 2012 when he won the Slam Dunk contest, but now we can see that payoff for the Mavericks on defense this season.

“It’s pretty clear that he’s going to be one of our better defensive players [with] his activity [and] length,” Carlisle said. “He’s an above-the-rim guy. He’s going to have to guard a lot of different positions because we’re having him play the three, four and five on offense so he’s probably going to have to be guarding all of those positions on defense. He’ll be one of those guys that’s involved in a lot of things.”

It’s often said that a change of scenery can be what’s needed for players to kick-start their career. We’ve seen over the years just how much a new team can benefit a player’s career. James Harden comes to mind as a player who transformed from a sixth man in Oklahoma City to an MVP candidate once he was traded and got the opportunity to start in Houston. While a player like Evans obviously doesn’t seem poised to turn into an MVP candidate in Dallas, changing teams could be his chance to become a significant contributor on a squad that still holds championship aspirations.

The first step toward doing that is earning the trust of his coach, and it seems like Evans has done just that. In the NBA, it seems as though there will always be a market for a player who is athletic, quick and versatile. Players can be trained on how to perform basic basketball skills like shooting, passing and dribbling. Having quickness and the ability to fly high above the rim isn’t something that can be easily taught.

Carlisle sees Evans’ athleticism as an advantage and wants to put it to good use. Already through two preseason games, Evans’ 18.5 minutes per game is well above the average he saw in Utah. Having a player like Evans can be extremely valuable to a team. If he can prove that he can play three different positions effectively, it will give Carlisle versatility in the lineup and allow him to experiment with different rotations.

“I feel like coming here, I feel like a rookie again,” Evans told reporters after the Mavericks’ first preseason game on Tuesday. “There’s so much I got to learn. I’ve learned a lot already and I know I got a long way to go. My main focus was coming in and trying to make sure I didn’t forget the play so that was the biggest thing coming out at first.

“I haven’t played the three pretty much at all so I’m just coming here and watching the guys and their positioning – guys that have played the position. [I’m] also just learning the four and five still, getting out there and just getting reps.”

So far, Evans has scored just five points during the team’s two outings in the preseason. While those numbers won’t catch your eye looking at the box score, it’s those things that he can do that may not necessarily show up on the stat sheet that are important to a team.

Coaches love having players they can count on to come off of the bench and provide the team with a spark to keep the offense going and ignite the team on defense. It’s also crucial that coaches have players that understand what their role is.

“[If] I’m not hitting shots, I got to contribute somehow so the best way is defense,” Evans said. “I felt like position-wise I was there and just able to get there and help my teammates on the weakside block shots and get rebounds.”

In Dallas, it’s going to be Dirk Nowitzki, Matthews and Parsons that will likely be in the spotlight this season, but Evans could end up being a player making significant contributions with his ability to play all over the court. And only having to pay him at the league minimum could be a win-win for the Mavericks.