Mark Cuban going ‘Shark Tank’ on Mavs in wake of DeAndre Jordan fiasco

“Optionality” is the name of the game in Dallas. Mark Cuban is taking a portfolio approach to finding a suitable cocktail of big men in the aftermath of DeAndre Jordan’s change of heart.

After missing out on Jordan, Cuban has acquired veterans Zaza Pachulia and Samuel Dalembert, and offered fully or partially guaranteed money to promising young Summer League darlings Maurice NDour, Jarrid Famous and Brandon Ashley. As if that wasn’t enough, Cuban also inked 7-1 Tunisian big man, Salah Mejri, to a three-year partially guaranteed contract.

If you’re wondering whether there is a method to all of this madness, there is. Cuban is operating like a venture capitalist by way of making a number of small investments, expecting many of them to fail, but hoping that one of them turns into a steal.

Expounding on the notion of the “portfolio approach” to strategy, creative strategist and writer Mark Di Somma notes: “We should plan for success the way venture capitalists plan to profit. We should bank on uncertainty, assume a high failure rate, and spread resources across a range of opportunities, each of which may or may not turn out to be the winner. Each plan in the decision making process should be evaluated on its return against investment, its risk profile, its competitiveness and the resources it will require to bring it to fulfilment.”

By taking the path of “optionality,” a philosophy which is also espoused by Sixers GM, Sam Hinkie, Cuban has stocked the cupboard with low-risk, upward-projecting options. If any of them turns into a rotation player in the next couple of years, Cuban will have essentially yielded a return on his multi-pronged investment.

The Mavericks have been in “win-now” mode for over ten years. In the process, they’ve treated their draft picks like an Oprah giveaway and, aside from Josh Howard, done a poor job of drafting with the picks they’ve kept. In the past, Cuban has gained a competitive edge by making non-cap investments on staff and locker rooms. This has become common practice and consequently top-of-the-line facilities have not been enough to land the “big fish” for the past several years. While none of the players signed this offseason are likely to put the Mavs over the top, the “optionality” route nevertheless marks a notable change in Cuban’s approach to team building.

So, without further ado, here is a quick-and-dirty rundown of the big men options in Dallas.

The Vets

Zaza Paculia: NBA fans are rather familiar with the Georgian big man at this point in his career. He’s likely to be the starter this season. His strengths are that he’s a good passer, a solid pick-and-pop guy and a solid defender, despite not being a rim protector. His weaknesses are that he’s neither a great rebounder or a tremendous athlete.

Samuel Dalembert: Played 80 games for the Mavs in 2013-14, averaged 6.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in the process. He isn’t going to set the world on fire but he is still an above average defender, so long as he can wake up in time for practice in the mornings. He did have this to say, though, which is promising for Mavericks fans:

Upside Guys

Jarrid Famous: Our guy Chris Reichert did a nice job of breaking down Famous, here. Even with Tyson Chandler, the Mavs were a poor rebounding squad. Famous, who led the D-League in rebounding last season with 14.9 boards a game, can help soften the blow of losing the team’s best glass cleaner.

Brandon Ashley: Undrafted 6-8 power forward out of Arizona, Ashley was a five-star guy coming out of high school who dealt with some injuries and never quite lived up to the hype. He’s an above average defender with tremendous length (7-3 wingspan) and some stretch four potential, despite inconsistency shooting the ball at the college level. He’s not particularly explosive but he isn’t a bad athlete, either. A lot of Hawks fans were calling for him to make the team after seeing his length and versatility this summer.

Maurice NDour: He looks awesome, he speaks five languages, he’s got a great backstory and he hustles his ass off. What’s not to love? The 6-8 big man from Senegal has a crazy 7-4 wingspan, he’s very fast up and down the court, his motor is non-stop, he’s got a nice little face-up J and he’s already a good weak side defender. On the flipside, NDour is only 200 pounds and he’s not a noteworthy rebounder. You can find a more in-depth scouting report here. His contract is fully guaranteed for next season and partially guaranteed the following. Chances are we’ll see him in a Mavs uniform at some point next season.

The Foreign Market

Salah Mejri: Tunisia’s first NBA player is already 29 years old but he shows significant promise as a long (7-1), mobile pick-and-roll threat. I’ve never seen him play, but he led the 2012 Olympics in blocked shots. He only started playing the game at 18 but his ascension to Europe’s top league was fairly meteoric. While he didn’t get a lot of playing time behind Felipe Reyes and Gustavo Ayon last season, plays like this are why the Mavs decided to bring him over: