In September, Mavs Moneyball previewed the upcoming season for Brandan Wright, the athletic, fan-favorite who had electrified Mavs fans with spectacular plays, and helped create indelible moments during the team's lowest points(as an asi...
In September, Mavs Moneyball previewed the upcoming season for Brandan Wright, the athletic, fan-favorite who had electrified Mavs fans with spectacular plays, and helped create indelible moments during the team's lowest points(as an aside, I didn't realize how many alley oops Wright had with Jason Terry).
A quick recap:
In 2007, the Golden State Warriors traded Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats for the draft rights to Brandan Wright, the freshman big man from North Carolina and 8th overall pick in the draft. Wright entered the NBA with elite measurables and athletic ability for a power forward: a 6'10 frame with a 7'5 wingspan and the speed and leaping ability of a guard.
Despite these tools, Wright did not quite make his mark in Golden State. His rookie season was limited to 38 games due to various injuries, and he managed only 39 games the next year(though he started more than half of them) after dislocating his shoulder midway through. His third year was completely lost, after another shoulder injury required surgery, and by the time he returned, Wright was no longer a fixture in the Warriors' future plans.
That season, with his rookie contract in its final year, Wright was traded at the deadline to New Jersey, where he struggled mightily, converting just 40.7% of his shots in 16 games. Unsurprisingly, he was made an unrestricted free agent. Dallas, looking for a cheap, bargain-bin project like Brandon Bass or Desagana Diop, signed Wright to a two year deal for under $2 million. Coming off a championship season and the first phase of post-title free agent exodus, Wright was one of many new faces for the Mavs, and he quickly impressed teammates with athletic gifts not common on a veteran, aged squad. He would go on to set career highs across the board his first year in Dallas, showing off a hyper-efficient around the basket game and the ability to change shots defensively with his length and activity. The decision to pick up his second year option was an easy one.
Brandan's numbers:
Season
Age
Tm
Lg
Pos
G
GS
MP
FG
FGA
FG%
3P
3PA
3P%
FT
FTA
FT%
ORB
DRB
TRB
AST
STL
BLK
TOV
PF
PTS
2007-08
20
GSW
NBA
SF
38
6
9.9
1.6
2.9
.554
0.0
0.0
0.7
1.1
.675
1.0
1.6
2.6
0.2
0.2
0.6
0.3
0.9
4.0
2008-09
21
GSW
NBA
PF
39
23
17.6
3.3
6.3
.528
0.0
0.1
.000
1.6
2.2
.741
1.6
2.4
4.0
0.5
0.6
0.9
0.6
1.9
8.3
2010-11
23
TOT
NBA
PF
37
2
10.2
1.6
3.2
.513
0.0
0.0
0.6
0.8
.677
0.8
1.6
2.4
0.3
0.3
0.5
0.4
0.9
3.8
2010-11
23
GSW
NBA
PF
21
1
9.3
1.8
3.0
.603
0.0
0.0
0.3
0.7
.500
0.7
1.3
2.0
0.2
0.1
0.5
0.5
0.9
4.0
2010-11
23
NJN
NBA
PF
16
1
11.5
1.4
3.4
.407
0.0
0.0
0.9
1.1
.824
1.1
1.9
3.0
0.4
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.9
3.6
2011-12
24
DAL
NBA
C
49
0
16.1
2.9
4.8
.618
0.0
0.0
.000
1.1
1.7
.634
1.3
2.3
3.6
0.3
0.4
1.3
0.4
1.2
6.9
2012-13
25
DAL
NBA
C
64
16
18.0
3.8
6.3
.597
0.0
0.0
.000
0.9
1.5
.615
1.3
2.7
4.1
0.6
0.4
1.2
0.5
1.2
8.5
Career
NBA
227
47
14.9
2.8
4.9
.573
0.0
0.0
.000
1.0
1.5
.665
1.2
2.2
3.4
0.4
0.4
0.9
0.5
1.2
6.6
Another year and a lot more of the same from Brandan, who proved his comeback year in Dallas was no fluke and, most importantly, stayed relatively healthy for the second year in a row.
The major selling point on Wright is easy to find: he doesn't miss much. He narrowly missed the 60% mark on his field goals for the second year in a row, and among centers playing at least 15 minutes, the only players with better true shooting percentages were Tyson Chandler, Tiago Splitter(last year these were also the only two better), and promising rookie Jonas Valanciunas.
Combine this outstanding finishing ability with an extremely low turnover rate(tied for 1st among all centers with Al Jefferson this year, an