The 2018 NBA Manifesto
Salah Mejri
C - 7’2, 235lbs - 32 years old - 3 years of experience
It is a logical sequence of events that a team stuck in a long-term largely fruitless reload have on their hands a 31 year old reserve centre entering restricted free agency for the first time. Happens all the time, totally normal. Nevertheless, if this is the end of Mejri’s time in Dallas, he will be remembered for his hustle, physicality, big old blocked shots, big old dunks and shouting.
Mejri has improved throughout his three years. When called upon - which initially was not often and which never was consistent - he crashed the glass extremely well, contested every shot at the rim, blocked it if he could (and he often could), fouled on it if he couldn’t, and picked up the occasional basket off of a put-back or a roll to the rim. It was an old-school centre’s game; a large man on the interior yet athletic to go with it, Mejri left the paint only to screen, and tried to make the paint his own. If an opponent drove at Mejri, they would know about it. And if Mejri drove at them, they would know about it. In a largely match-up specific role, called upon mostly when the opposition featured a post-based player (it would be fair to say that he is not a perimeter defender), Mejri more often than not came through.
The past tense is used above largely subconsciously to reflect the fact that like Debbie, Mejri may well be done in Dallas. That said, this is an NBA calibre reserve big if he wants to be. The development of the new school did not completely do away with the old school style of player; it just raised the standards of how good they have to be. And Mejri meets those new standards.
Player Plan: Expiring minimum salary contract. QO eligible, which wouldn’t be the worst thing. Dallas needs to upgrade the big man spots, but that does not mean they need to be rid of Mejri.
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C - 7’2, 235lbs - 32 years old - 3 years of experience
It is a logical sequence of events that a team stuck in a long-term largely fruitless reload have on their hands a 31 year old reserve centre entering restricted free agency for the first time. Happens all the time, totally normal. Nevertheless, if this is the end of Mejri’s time in Dallas, he will be remembered for his hustle, physicality, big old blocked shots, big old dunks and shouting.
Mejri has improved throughout his three years. When called upon - which initially was not often and which never was consistent - he crashed the glass extremely well, contested every shot at the rim, blocked it if he could (and he often could), fouled on it if he couldn’t, and picked up the occasional basket off of a put-back or a roll to the rim. It was an old-school centre’s game; a large man on the interior yet athletic to go with it, Mejri left the paint only to screen, and tried to make the paint his own. If an opponent drove at Mejri, they would know about it. And if Mejri drove at them, they would know about it. In a largely match-up specific role, called upon mostly when the opposition featured a post-based player (it would be fair to say that he is not a perimeter defender), Mejri more often than not came through.
The past tense is used above largely subconsciously to reflect the fact that like Debbie, Mejri may well be done in Dallas. That said, this is an NBA calibre reserve big if he wants to be. The development of the new school did not completely do away with the old school style of player; it just raised the standards of how good they have to be. And Mejri meets those new standards.
Player Plan: Expiring minimum salary contract. QO eligible, which wouldn’t be the worst thing. Dallas needs to upgrade the big man spots, but that does not mean they need to be rid of Mejri.
