Mavericks coach can no longer ignore his other first-rounder after another impressive summer league showing

The Dallas Mavericks are quietly putting together one of the most dominant runs in Las Vegas this July. The Summer League squad is firing on all cylinders. While a lot of the initial hype around this team surrounded top-10 pick Morez Johnson Jr., the real catalyst for their success has been their other first-rounder, Sergio De Larrea.

De Larrea looks less like a rookie and more like a seasoned NBA veteran running the point. He completely took over Monday's game, dropping a 16-point, 12-assist double-double to lead Dallas to a 96-88 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. 

He was incredibly efficient, too, going 3-of-7 from the field, hitting a pair of three-pointers, and knocking down all six of his free throws. Those 12 dimes also set a brand new franchise Summer League record.

His incredible stat line is starting to create a real problem for new Mavs head coach Dusty May, and it's a good sign. May came into the job with his eyes on Johnson Jr., the Michigan Wolverines’ big man he coached in college and clearly viewed as his guy in Dallas. But De Larrea's brilliant display in the summer league will force May to think again. 

The buzz isn't just outside noise. Mavs Summer League coach Joe Boylan praised the 20-year-old Spanish guard's poise, noting that De Larrea plays wise beyond his years against aggressive defenders. Boylan highlighted his pick-and-roll decisions and touch on lob passes as natural instincts, adding that the rookie stayed calm even when his shot wouldn't fall.

Where this gets interesting for the regular season is at the point guard spot. This sets up a battle for the regular-season backup point guard minutes behind Kyrie Irving. That is also Ryan Nembhard's natural spot. Nembhard has looked great this summer too, only missing the Grizzlies game because he was sick. Since both guards play the same role, one of them will eventually have to yield minutes to the other.

For now, that is a call Dusty May doesn't have to make yet. We are still talking about Summer League games, not a massive body of NBA work. But between the positional size, the elite court vision, and the sheer poise this kid brings from playing pro reps with Valencia in Spain, the Mavericks look like they found an absolute steal at 25. 

He is stringing together big performances back-to-back, and it is going to create a fascinating rotation puzzle for his new head coach to sort out when October rolls around.

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