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Tyler Dorsey plays a strong EuroBasket for the Greek national team. That's good news for the Dallas Mavericks, but maybe bad news for Dennis Schröder.

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There are 1:22 minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. The Italians have taken the momentum at the home Mediolanum Forum in Milan, but not yet the lead. At 81:77 and just six seconds on the 24-second clock, experienced Barca pro Nick Calathes throws the ball in for the Greeks.

The next points can be game-changing. Everyone expects a kick-off to the two-time NBA MVP and the best player on the field - Giannis Antetokounmpo. But Calathes opts to pass to Tyler Dorsey and the guard delivers, hitting a difficult step-back three-pointer over Stefano Tonut for a seven-point lead.

23 points end up on the stat sheet for Dorsey, who has a Greek mother. That's just two points less than the Greek Freak scored. Already in the first group game against Croatia, the 26-year-old showed what he is made of and gave Bojan Bogdanovic and Co. 27 strong points.

Tyler Dorsey: NBA flop successful in Europe
At times, Dorsey emerged as the best player behind Giannis. Thanks in part to him, the Greeks are a hot contender for a medal. The Dallas Mavericks will also be watching closely. After all, the 1.96 meter tall backcourt player has signed a two-way contract there. In the process, he is said to have impressed those responsible in a workout and thus secured his working paper. The NBA is not new territory for Dorsey, however.

He was drafted as the 41st pick in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks. There, he showed promise but never really caught on and was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019. But there, too, Dorsey failed to make the breakthrough. As a result, he was unable to find a job in the world's best league and opted for Maccabi Tel Aviv and later Olympiakos Piraeus.

Dallas Mavericks: The search for a Brunson replacement
Outside of the U.S., Dorsey's game finally managed to impress. He became Israeli champion in both seasons with Maccabi and also won the Greek league plus the domestic cup with Piraeus. He also claimed the MVP title in the cup competition.

NBA Retro Trikot,The sharpshooter was helped in particular by his outside shooting. He was consistently dangerous from downtown, averaging 11.4 points on 39.7 percent threes. In EuroBasket, Dorsey showed that he could definitely keep up defensively in the very physical tournament and knew how to compensate for his lack of physical strength with crafty steals. "In Dallas, they believe he can contribute," Mavs insider Tim MacMahon (ESPN) revealed to the Lowe Post. "They believe he can be part of the rotation. Next to Giannis, he's playing really well so far."

For the Mavs, Dorsey is especially interesting if he improves his playmaking skills. With the departure of Jalen Brunson to the Knicks, it needs relief for superstar Luka Doncic. Here, Dorsey still sometimes lacks an eye for his teammate.

He has improved his drive to the basket. But here, too, he needs to improve for the athletically stronger NBA. Against Italy, for example, he didn't take a single shot inside the three-point line, and against Great Britain he was surprisingly passive in 19 minutes of play. In the 93-77 win over the British, he was the weakest player with a +/- of -13.

Mavs: Dorsey or Schröder - The battle for the last roster spot
The Texans would be happy about a strong Dorsey. After all, they would not be forced to be active on the market again and could act more flexibly, since they would not have to pay more luxury tax. However, Dallas is not yet sure what the best option is. Other internal solutions would be Frank Ntilikina and Josh Green.

But with further good performances for Greece, Dorsey could secure the last squad spot for the Mavericks. As a reminder, with a two-way deal, you can only be with the NBA team for 45 days when the season starts in the G-League. As of now, Dorsey would not be eligible for the playoffs.

According to Marc Stein (Substack), he will receive external competition from Doncic's friend Dennis Smith Jr, Eric Bledsoe, Facundo Campazzo and Elfrid Payton, as well as another star of the EuroBasket - Dennis Schröder. The DBB captain is still looking for a new team in the NBA and was recently linked to the Mavs. The qualities of the German point guard are almost opposite to Dorsey's. While Schröder's threes don't want to fall at all, his 6.8 assists per game and numerous drives are good arguments in his favor.

The two already know each other from a season together with the Hawks. There, Schröder was the better player. Now the two potential contenders for the Mavs squad will meet directly in the quarterfinals. Dallas will certainly be watching this with great interest.