Fansided

5 NBA destinations for Villanova’s Kris Jenkins

By John Buhler

Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) celebrates with the student section after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men
Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) celebrates with the student section after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men /
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Nov 3, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) comes off the court past Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the game against the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Celtics 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) comes off the court past Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the game against the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Celtics 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

. West. Southwest. Dallas Mavericks. 2. player. 79

How much longer are the Dallas Mavericks going to be able to tread water in the brutal Western Conference with aging superstar Dirk Nowitzki and a largely disappointing roster built by general manager Donnie Nelson?

Dallas is hovering around .500 and may squeak into the Western Conference Playoffs this spring, but the Mavericks need to get younger and they need to get younger fast. If often-injured wing Chandler Parsons leaves Dallas via free agency this summer, then the Mavericks will have to find some solution at the small forward.

While he shouldn’t be expected to come in and fill Parsons’ role immediately, perhaps Villanova’s Jenkins can become a younger version of Parsons out on the wing for the Mavericks? Surely, Jenkins doesn’t have the length of Parsons, but does come from a winning collegiate basketball culture. His youthful injection may help the Mavericks get over complacency in the twilight of Nowitzki’s career.

Not only will Jenkins get an opportunity to play for the Mavericks early, but he would get to play for a top five NBA head coach in Rick Carlisle, who has been a rock for the Mavericks going on a decade. If Carlisle is interested in an inevitable rebuilding project in Dallas, maybe he would be willing to see how good he could make Jenkins be as a key piece on future Mavericks teams?

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