Emanuel Miller should make the Dallas Mavericks roster

The TCU product has the size and skill to make a roster, including this one

If you were unfamiliar with the name Emanuel Miller, Monday night’s preseason game against Memphis was a fun introduction to who he is as a player. The TCU product looked like he belonged on an NBA floor. In 17 minutes of work, Miller had 11 points on 4/5 from the floor, while pitching in 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal. The Mavs were +5 when Miller was on the court and -10 when he was off. As our own Josh Bowe noted, last night was a continuation of what we’ve seen from Miller in college and at Summer League this summer, where he just makes winning plays.

Not bad for a guy who is on an Exhibit 10 contract to give the Mavericks a “camp body”. As the preseason continues, we’ll find out if Miller can do enough to make the roster. Allow me to make his case for why he belongs on this team.

Experience matters

At 24 years old, Miller is one of the oldest rookies that the Mavericks have brought in during the Luka era. He spent 5 years playing college hoops, with his first 2 at Texas A&M before spending his final 3 years at TCU. Emanuel has also played for Team Canada twice, in the FIBA U18 Americas tournament, he averaged over 17 points per game on a silver medal team. He’s an experienced player and it translates to his game on the floor. That feel for the game sticks out with his off-ball movement, which resulted in an easy dunk for him on this play in this year’s NCAA Tournament game.

Useful size

One thing that you can’t teach is size, and Miller has the NBA level size. At 6’7” and 215 pounds, Miller fits the wing archetype that every team is looking for. He used that size to his advantage, as he averaged 6.5 boards per game over the course of his college career. Miller was especially useful on the offensive glass; he averaged over 2 offensive rebounds per game, often resulting in nasty putbacks like this one.

Modern day Dorian Finney-Smith?

Before I get killed for this comparison, let me explain. In Dorian’s early years in Dallas, he struggled with his shot from deep, hovering near 30%. However, with the continued reps and tweaks, he worked himself into being a prototypical 3 & D wing player. I’m not saying Emanuel Miller is going to be the next undrafted Maverick to turn into a quality role player, but I’m also not not saying it. Miller’s first 3 years in college saw him shoot a frigid 19.4% from 3. However, during his last 2 seasons in Fort Worth, Miller shot a combined 38.9% from 3, including this incredible game winner against Georgetown this past season.

You could argue that Miller is a more polished player now than Dorian was when he was entering the league. Granted, Dallas is in a much different spot now than they were then. But even when you’re trying to win championships, development matters. Rosters get expensive very quickly, and young talent that you can get on the cheap is extraordinarily valuable to rosters. Miller could absolutely be that, if given the chance.

The case

There is only one two-way spot remaining in Dallas, and realistically, Emanuel’s probably not the favorite to get it. The recently released AJ Lawson, along with Jaz Gortman, will be vying for that spot as well. But Emanuel is something different from them, more of a forward than he is a guard. Miller comes into Dallas as a seasoned player, and guys like that matter on a team that’s in a championship window. He’s got the size that all teams want and a history of being a productive player on winning teams. Miller does the little things well, which is all you can really ask for out of a guy who’s fighting to make a roster. With the Mavs being deep at guard, I say they should add a wing in Emanuel Miller, who’s got the tools and traits to be a good player.