Marquese Chriss joined the Dallas Mavericks as a replacement player during the Covid-19 outbreak in December. The Mavericks, and almost every team throughout the NBA, were desperate for players. Chriss was available, and almost immediately, his high energy play won over fans.
In his first 13 games with Dallas, Chriss averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. But once the Mavericks’ regular players returned, Chriss’ minutes dwindled. Despite a rotation that needed big man depth, Chriss just couldn’t carve out a role for himself. He got lost on defense too often, and he wasn’t brought on to be an offensive threat.