Naji Marshall
Marshall is Dallas's backup point guard behind Kyrie Irving and a fill-in starter when the stars are out, but he is out Monday against the Heat with an illness.
Role
Preseason reporting (Smoking Cuban, about 9 days old) had him running the second unit while Irving rests. He started Saturday's home opener against the Spurs (Oct. 24) with Irving and Cooper Flagg out, alongside Max Christie, Zaccharie Risacher, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. He had 10 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes, per ESPN's note. The week before, he played 33:21 after Flagg left with a shoulder injury. ESPN's note said he may go back to the bench if Irving (knee/rest) is cleared, but Marshall is now out Monday regardless. I found no minutes or usage-rate figures, and no return date for the illness. Competition for ball-handling work includes Walter Clayton, Marcus Sasser and Sergio de Larrea, and I did not confirm any set split.
Marshall played well in a bigger role late last season, with averages of 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 34.9 minutes over his last 19 games (CBS Sports). Dallas is thin because of injuries to its stars and bigs, so he could keep getting starter-level touches. Dallas Sports Journal also reported a big improvement in ball security in his first games.
The Smoking Cuban and Yahoo argue he is not a true point guard. He is 6-foot-6, shot under 30 percent from three in each of the last two seasons, and has never averaged more than 3.3 assists per game. Once Irving and Flagg are healthy, his minutes and shot volume likely shrink. The illness adds short-term uncertainty. Our data also shows only 3 games played last season, so there is little recent sample on our side.
Where analysts split
Whether he can handle the backup point guard job over a full season. Optimists point to his late-season playmaking. Skeptics point to his shooting, assist ceiling and the strain on his defense. Whether he keeps starter minutes once Irving and Flagg return is also unsettled.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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