Having been a mainstay in the Boomers squad for a number of years, 28 year-old Ryan Broekhoff finally gets his first opportunity at NBA level. The six foot seven swing-man signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks back in August having spent his entire professional career plying his trade in Europe.
Although going undrafted at the 2013 NBA draft, Broekhoff had a promising junior career that saw him lead his college team Valparaiso to the NCAA tournament in his final year. Now, having not been given a chance until 28, Broekhoff will be eager to prove to his team, Australia, and the world that he belongs at the top level.
A native of Victoria, those unfamiliar with Broekhoff’s skill set should look no further than fellow Australian Joe Ingles for a similar comparison. Standing at a similar height to Ingles, Broekhoff’s weapon comes via his three point shooting.
A sharpshooter capable of playing at either the shooting guard or small forward positions, Broekhoff sits 20th on all time made three point field goals in Europe’s second tier competition the EuroCup.
This culminated in finishing fifth in three point field goal makes last season, shooting a staggering 50.6% from beyond the arc, form which no doubt caught the eye of NBA recruiters. Playing for club Lokomotiv Kuban, Broekhoff averaged 16.6 points last season whilst also demonstrating a strong rebounding ability at 7.4 per game.
As a mature age recruit, the Mavericks are looking for instant impact which should allow Broekhoff to receive regular minutes under coach Rick Carlisle. The Mavs are in a quirky position after some excellent off-season acquisitions followed what was a dismal 24 win 2017-18 season. Along with the likes of Broekhoff, Dallas also acquired former All-Star DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers.
The Mav’s biggest inclusion perhaps came through the draft, trading up to the third pick to acquire Euro sensation Luka Doncic.
The free agent subtractions of Seth Curry and Doug McDermott are what will most likely affect and potentially aid the growth of Broekhoff as an NBA player. McDermott especially is a sharpshooter who’s move to the Pacers may have been a key reason in the Mavs signing Broekhoff as a similar type of player.
Although they are heavily stocked with guards, it’s difficult to see much quality depth for the Mavericks at the small forward position. In fact, Broekhoff is likely to begin the season in a battle with Dorian Finney-Smith for a regular backup spot behind Harrison Barnes. Finney-Smith had an injury interrupted 17-18 season where he appeared in just 21 games with a scoring output of 5.9 points per game.
The experience that Broekhoff holds over the other options at small forward should lead to coach Carlisle overlooking Finney-Smith and co for the Aussie sharpshooter.
His long-range shooting is something Dallas sorely needed last season, Brokehoff’s signing being aimed at immediately remedying that. His ability to score and stretch the defence to the three-point line will help the Mavericks create space within their offensive structure and freedom to score.
The Mavericks were ranked 28th in scoring last season, Broekhoff won’t be expected to add 20 points per game with his individual scoring, but it’s quite possible his 10-15 minutes on the floor provides the offensive freedom the Mavs need to add 10-15 points to the scoreboard as a team.
Broekhoff is in the perfect position to become a regular and solid NBA player, a two-year contract ideal given it will lead into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he’s likely to be a key piece to the Boomers puzzle.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
