Fans are hitting simulate on Tankathon daily, hoping Dallas can recreate last year's miracle. But if the pick stays at eight, Brayden Burries is a player worth being excited about.
May 10 is still 17 days away and Mavericks fans are already deep into the lottery simulation rabbit hole. Tankathon.com, the fan-favorite draft lottery simulator, has become the unofficial daily ritual for Dallas supporters hoping to recreate last year's miracle. Every refresh is another chance to see the Mavericks defy the odds again. Last year they had a 1.8% shot and hit. Now with the eighth-best odds after losing the coin flip to Atlanta, the obsessive daily simulations are back in full force.
But what if the balls do not cooperate? What if Dallas stays at eight? Tankathon's current mock draft has the Mavericks selecting Arizona guard Brayden Burries, and the fit is worth thinking about.
Burries had a breakout freshman season with the Wildcats, leading Arizona to the Final Four as their primary scorer. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 39.1% from three. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and one of the more consistent performers in a loaded freshman class.
He plays with a physical, attacking style that does not rely on elite athleticism. He scored 31 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Colorado in March and put up 20 points with 12 rebounds against Kansas. He showed up in big moments all season.
The concerns are real too. At 6-foot-4 without elite athleticism, his ceiling is genuinely debated. He will be 21 before his first NBA season, older than most of the top freshmen in this class. His playmaking is still developing and scouts have noted that his creation off the dribble is more craft than burst.
Flagg needs a backcourt partner who can shoot, defend and stay out of the way when the ball is in Cooper's hands. Burries does all three. His 39.1% from three and 1.5 steals per game both translate immediately, and his willingness to operate off the ball makes him a natural complement to a player who touches it as much as Flagg.
None of this matters if the lottery breaks right. Mavericks fans will hit that simulate button on Tankathon every day until May 10 hoping to watch Dallas jump into the top four one more time. But if the ping pong balls do not cooperate, Brayden Burries is a player worth being genuinely excited about.