Masai Ujiri sees a defensive powerhouse in the making, likening the athletic rookie’s relentless energy and versatile switchability to one of the NBA’s premier two-way stars.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Tobi Lawal may have just received the highest praise of his young professional career before he even heard his name called on draft night.
During an appearance at Mavs Academy Hoop Camp on Friday, Lawal revealed that Mavericks president Masai Ujiri compared him to former Toronto Raptors standout, current New York Knicks forward and reigning NBA champion OG Anunoby during his pre-draft workout.
"The crazy thing is, he told me in my workout when I first worked out before the draft, he just was telling me OG Anunoby is one of my comparisons," Lawal said. "He was just telling me the type of work ethic he had. (Ujiri) understands and knows so much, especially just learning from guys like him, I have no doubt I can be that type of player."
Coming from the executive who helped draft and develop Anunoby during his tenure in Toronto, the comparison certainly carries weight.
Still, it may not be the cleanest comparison from a physical standpoint.
Anunoby entered the NBA as one of the league's premier long-wing prospects. His combination of size, strength and a reported 7-foot-2 wingspan immediately projected to NBA defenses, allowing him to guard virtually every position while disrupting passing lanes with uncommon length.
That specific physical profile has become one of the NBA's most valuable archetypes.
Since 2016, wings with roughly a 7-foot-2 wingspan have consistently outperformed their draft position, producing players such as Pascal Siakam, Mikal Bridges, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Williams and Bilal Coulibaly alongside Anunoby.
Second-year forwards and possible breakout candidates Cedric Coward and Rasheer Flemings fit this mold, too.
The trend has become so noticeable that teams regularly prioritize exceptional length when evaluating versatile forwards.
But Lawal wins ... differently.
Rather than overwhelming opponents with extraordinary length, the 6-foot-8 rookie has built his reputation on athleticism and relentless energy.
During Summer League, he said he discovered just how impactful he could be defensively after regularly matching up against every position on the floor.
"That I can really guard," Lawal said when asked what he learned in Las Vegas. "I didn't know how good I was defensively until just being around them and guarding from centers to point guards."
That's likely where Ujiri's comparison originates.
Anunoby isn't simply valuable because of his size or frame.
He's valuable because he embraces the dirty work, defends the opposing team's best scorer and complements stars without needing the offense built around him.
Those same traits could eventually define Lawal's NBA role if his offensive game continues to develop.
Ujiri's comparison appears less about matching measurements and more about projecting impact.
Lawal seems to understand exactly what that vision looks like.
"The coaching staff is great, the whole environment is great, Dallas is great, so it's an easy place for me to grow, because growth is very important to me," Lawal said. "This is the perfect place for me to be."
If the Mavericks ultimately develop Lawal into the type of versatile, defense-first wing that made Anunoby one of the NBA's premier role players, few in Dallas will care whether the comparison was built on identical physical tools or simply a shared blueprint for winning.
