The Dallas Mavericks have won four straight games, and temporary point guard Yogi Ferrell is on fire.
The 6-0, 180-pounder is playing more minutes for the Dallas Mavericks as of late with Pierre Jackson having an unfortunate injury after being called up. This is his second 10-day contract of the season, and one man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity, so Ferrell is taking advantage of it this time around. According to Shams Charania of the Vertical, Ferrell will sign a two-year contract when his ten-day deal is done next Tuesday.
His key contributions started against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 29, in which he had nine points and seven assists in 36 minutes. He’s looked great paired next to emerging starter Seth Curry in the recent Mavs wins, which have been predicated on three-point shooting.
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After a solid performance in San Antonio, Ferrell showed out against the world champions. #YogiBall put pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers from the opening tip, and he really kept the Cavs on their heels with his uptempo style of play at the point. He had 19 points and exhibited a nice mix of the mid-range and three-point shooting.
Ferrell has also shown that he creates for others, and he was all over the floor in this one. His penetration forced the Cavs defense to be out of position on some rotations in the half court, and in transition as well. He only had three assists, but it was evident that he was the catalyst on both ends. He also recorded five rebounds and four impressive steals, which came after he got after All-Star Kyrie Irving. Ferrell has always played tough defense for his height, and his active hands got the Mavs out-and-running against an older Cavs team.
The ex-Brooklyn Net finally got his big break on national TV Friday night on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 10-day man played his way into a guaranteed deal after erupting for 32 points — that included nine three balls. As reported by CBS Sports Writer Ananth Pandian, Damian Lillard and the Blazers wanted to go under picks to make Farrell beat them from deep.
He did just that and tied an NBA rookie record with those nine triples. One of those was the dagger that put the Mavs up four with 19.3 ticks left. This game was supposed to be the Lillard-McCollum show, and Ferrell stole the show instead. This little dude is playing like everybody’s highlight while taking advantage of a new chance with the Mavs. I understand that some players do have the occasional fluky hot streak; I just like rooting for the underdog is all. Hopefully, this guy will be remembered for more than being a cartoon.
Follow Dan on Twitter: @ArmchairQBDan
