Following their 2024 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks turned their attention to free agency and the 2024 NBA Draft. Melvin Anjinca was chosen by the Mavs with the 51st overall pick after they traded up. And then there was free agency.
Naji Marshall, a former Pelican, was signed by the Mavs to a three-year contract as soon as free agency opened. After Marshall was signed, many predicted that fan favorite wing Derrick Jones Jr. would not play for the Mavericks again, and Jones Jr. did sign with the Clippers.
Marshall’s performance in the Big Easy has not gone unnoticed, either. Marshall, who is 26 years old, gained attention in a recent Bleacher Report piece.
The NBA’s “most underrated” forward is Naji Marshall.
On July 20, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report penned a piece titled “Ranking the Most Underrated NBA Players Right Now.” According to Favale, Marshall is the third most underappreciated player in the NBA, with just two guards (Aaron Wiggins and Ayo Dosunmu) ahead of him.
Based on Favale’s assessment, Marshall is now the most undervalued forward in the league.
That is quite high regard for a man who was a valuable member of the Pelicans squad despite having played the majority of his career off the bench. During Marshall’s four seasons with the Pelicans, New Orleans advanced to the NBA Play-In Tournament twice and missed the playoffs once. Still, it’s a big deal to be praised for being underappreciated on a team with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Marshall was among the finest defenders for the Pelicans. Marshall’s shooting percentages from the field and from three this past season improved over 2022–2023; he recorded a career-high 39 percent from three.
In addition to signing and trading Klay Thompson to Dallas, the Mavs also added Marshall, who is a fantastic 3-point shooter. Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Marshall, Thompson, and Irving are four formidable 3-point shooters who can all be on the court at the same moment.
Marshall contributes to the Mavs’ improvement in defense and 3-point shooting, both of which were lacking in the NBA Finals. Marshall may be ready to come off the bench as the sixth player on a squad that already has plenty of depth. Marshall has an ideal opportunity to succeed in a sixth man position in Dallas.
The fact that Marshall is in Dallas and prepared to start his new job should thrill Mavs supporters. Given that he is already underappreciated, Marshall will be more driven to raise his game even further.
Because he is a top-tier role player and gives his all on defense, Mavs supporters will soon understand why New Orleans liked him.
Keep up with everything Marshall and the Mavs are up to date on.
