Naji Marshall has become one of the Dallas Mavericks' most reliable figures in his increased role over the last few weeks.
The Dallas Mavericks remain one of the league's most inconsistent teams as we enter the second full month of the season.
No two-game stretch is as evident of that as Dallas' blowout loss to the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, then turnaround on Saturday to dismantle the Houston Rockets, who sit second in the West standings behind OKC.
The Mavs have won four of their last five games, however, and amid a stretch of uncertainty in depth with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis all making appearances on the injury report, there is one face that has provided a steady presence in the lineup all season: Naji Marshall.
Nicknamed "The Knife" for his sharp attacks to the basket and delicate precision on his signature floater in the lane, Marshall has become one of Dallas' most reliable figures in his increased role over the last few weeks. Marshall has five of his six starts this season coming in Dallas' last five games.
Against Houston, he provided the offensive consistency with 15 points scored on 6-8 shooting, both missed shots coming from three-point range (1-3). In Oklahoma City, Marshall posted 18 points on 8-11 from the field.
Davis praised the six-year vet for his composure and how the team trusts him on the floor because of his distinct style of play.
“We always tell him his game is boring, but boring is successful," Davis joked with reporters in the locker room on Saturday. "You look at all the greats — it was the same move over and over again, they just perfected their craft."
Fans know about the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook, Tim Hardaway's killer cross, the Michael Jordan bump fade, or, to appeal to Mavs fans, the signature one-legged fadeaway popularized by Dirk Nowitzki.
Naji Marshall's eight-foot push shot is up there with the best go-to moves in the NBA.
And yes, it's boring. But nobody can deny that it works.
This isn't a new occurrence, either. A fan account on social media curated a highlight reel that spans over three minutes strictly filled with Marshall floaters, all in just his first season with the Mavs last year.
Marshall never leads the team in shots, but when he takes them, they're often on the money. The seven-footer Davis leads the Mavericks in field goal percentage (minimum eight shot attempts per game) at 52.3 percent, but Marshall is not far behind in second at 51.7.
His marksmanship is most apparent from two-point territory, mostly accounted for by these floaters; Marshall shoots 64.1 percent from two-point range, which is third best on the team overall and tops among players who average at least two shot attempts a night.
“He’s attacking the paint, he’s getting to his floater, and he’s starting to shoot the three at a high clip," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said postgame on Saturday.
"Naji is playing the game the right way and he’s taken full advantage of the start.”
The Mavs' health will benefit from a five-day rest as the next game isn't until Friday Dec. 12 against the Brooklyn Nets. Whether or not he's in the starting lineup, you can bet that Marshall will look to keep the floater game sharp.
Because their is beauty in boring.