5 Players to Consider Drafting

It's no secret that the Dallas Mavericks need to revamp their lineup. Dirk Nowitzki is getting older and, although he's still a really good player, Dallas needs to start looking at younger superstars to add on their roster.

In the past, Dallas has relied on trades to bring players in to help Dirk. Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler were brought to Dallas through trades. Free agency hasn't been a place where Dallas has excelled in bringing in star players. They have done a nice job signing complimentary players like O.J. Mayo.

It would seem that in order for Dallas to get better and younger they need to work on how they draft players. This is another place Dallas hasn't really done very well. Of course, everyone wants to look at drafting Nowitzki, but since then, they don't have much to show. Having traded up to draft Devin Harris, he was thought to be the next star. However, coach Avery Johnson wasn't a big fan of Harris as he seemed to have a hard time playing him. Josh Howard seemed like the real deal at first, but off the court issues made it apparent the Mavericks weren't going to deal with him very long.

Of course, the Mavericks have had a history of being really good, so they are usually drafting in the bottom of the first round. This year will be different, though, since they missed the playoffs.

The Mavericks are in desperate need of a point guard and a center and there are some really nice players at those positions in this year's draft. Here is the top five players I think the Mavericks need to look at trying to draft.

Lorenzo Brown - N.C. State

One of the things about Lorenzo Brown that is appealing is the fact that he stands at 6'5". He averaged 12.4 points a game and 7.2 assists, while his rebounding was just over four a game. For a team that struggled to rebound, having a point guard that is tall enough to grab some rebounds is huge.

Michael Carter-Williams - Syracuse

Although he only averaged 11.9 points per game, he did have 7.3 assists a game. What really stands out for Carter-Williams is that he is 6'6". This allowed him to average just under five rebounds a game as well. This height is something the Mavericks could desperately use.

Nerlens Noel - Kentucky

Standing at 6'10", Noel is a threat defensively down low. He averaged just over 10 points a game and grabbed just under 10 rebounds a game. The only down side to this University of Kentucky star is that he's only a freshman, so he doesn't have a lot of experience.

Trey Burke - Michigan

This 6'0" sophomore from Michigan helped lead the team to the national championship game this past season. Averaging 18.5 points per game and 6.8 assists, Burke would be a nice addition to the Mavericks' offense.

Gorgui Dieng - Louisville

The whole world saw what kind of impact Dieng can have on a basketball game as he helped the Louisville Cardinals win the championship. Dieng, who stands at 6'11", averaged 2.5 blocks per game this year and 9.4 rebounds a game. This is the type of player the Mavericks could benefit from having in their lineup.