Yogi Ferrell goes from 10-day contract to two-year deal with the Mavericks

Jan 29, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Yogi Ferrell (11) shoots the ball past San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mavericks won 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 29, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Yogi Ferrell (11) shoots the ball past San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mavericks won 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Yogi Ferrell signs two-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work. That might be a cliche, but it rings true for Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks, but his play on the court just prolonged his stay.

Ferrell inked a two-year contract with the Mavericks, after averaging 17.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. In that span, the Mavericks went 4-0. Perhaps the biggest factor in Dallas’ decision was Ferrell’s 32-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers this past Friday.

Ferrell buried nine 3-pointers and even out-played Blazers star Damian Lillard, who scored 13 points in the contest. Ferrell, according to ESPN’s stat page on Twitter, made some history, too.

Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari doesn’t believe his run will last long, but he’s glad the Mavericks found a diamond in the rough.

"It seems unlikely he will maintain his current pace, and one can only assume his playing time will diminish at least somewhat once Dallas’ backcourt gets healthy. Until that happens, however, the Mavs are wise to ride the wave and lock up a player who could turn out to be a diamond in the rough.Dallas (20-30) is very much in the Western Conference playoff race despite an awful start to the season, and if Ferrell continues to perform at a high level for the remainder of the campaign, it has a legitimate opportunity to play postseason basketball."

Ferrell should be a reminder that a dream isn’t finished unless you choose to finish it. Ferrell’s work and determination were impressive enough for the Mavericks to offer him a longer term deal.

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Whether it works out for him or not, he deserves his shot after some sensational performances over the past week.