Should the Dallas Mavericks Trade Rodrigue Beaubois?

You see the thing is, he plays by instinct. When you can move that fast, you believe you can drive the lane almost at will. And if he sees a seam, that’s what he does.

But they say he’s not a true point guard. Conventional basketball philosophy is designed around set plays.

Rodrigue Beaubois often outruns the play in a full court situation. Therefore turning many possessions into an impromtu fast break that teammates might not be ready for.

In their eyes, he’s coloring outside the lines. And they’re not really ever sure what he’s going to do, until it’s already done.  In the confusion, they believe that he is completely out of control.

Some say he doesn’t have good court vision. All he can see is the goal. How could he weave his way through nine guys for a lay up and not be touched? Must be blind luck

Roddy Buckets, the Fantasy

Roddy B is an incredible talent. One of the fastest players in the NBA. He plays a game that is misunderstood by many. In the eyes of a fan, it’s a beautiful thing.

And that’s where I come in.  I like to think of myself as a baller. Or at least I did when I was a kid playing in the driveway off the goal on top of our garage.

It was usually one on one, or horse. Or on a big day when we had three guys it was 21.Or on a slow day it was one on none. With just my imagination guarding me.

And these are the games when I imagine myself being that kind of player. I could do it all.

I could almost always get past every man on the other team and take it to the hole.

There was never a time when I couldn’t get open for a shot from the grass. And sometimes I even made that shot. And when I missed I could judge the bounce off the goal, snag that rebound and get a put back.

I made steals and turned them into fast break lay ups, sometimes with the backcourt all the way at the end of the driveway.

And these are the reasons that us fans love to watch Roddy Buckets. We can see ourselves doing the same things that he does.

Beaubois, the Reality?

But let’s gets back to his critics. And why I think they’re wrong.

It’s true that Rodrigue Beaubois is a bit of an enigma. Exactly what he will become is an unknown. And with this unknown comes a lot of questions.

Many of these guys think Beaubois is not what we need in Dallas. They are looking for a quick fix that they think some other player would bring.

There’s always talk of trading him, along with half the Mavs team and future draft picks for Chris Paul or whoever.

I think this would be a huge mistake. Not only getting rid of Roddy Buckets, but also the fact that many suggest that the Mavs should throw in the kitchen sink to get one player and some other junk that other teams are trying to unload.

In the NBA, there are a finite number of ready made superstars. So whether it be the Eastern Conference or Western Conference, teams generally don’t want to get rid of these guys.

And whether it be health, attitude, declining talent, or team chemistry, almost all of the players that might be available by trade have questions surrounding them also. 

But for the sake of this story, I’ll stick with trying to answer some of the questions that exist around Roddy Beaubois.

Rodrigue Beaubois, the Destiny

Let’s get into what we know about Rodrigue Beaubois, and the questions that surround him.

He is a team player. Although many of us think he should have gotten more playing time, you never hear of Roddy B complaining or disrupting team chemistry. When his number is called, he just goes in and gives it all he’s got. 

And apparently he was put through a lot of rookie hazing. He just took it in stride. So while he may not look it, he has shown quite a bit of maturity at his young age.

Roddy Buckets got most of his minutes at shooting guard last season. He showed great quickness in getting to the rim and a deadly three point shot.

But I also saw incredible passes. There were behind the back passes, wrap around left handed kick outs to the three point line, and dishes to the opposite low post in traffic.

He has the speed and quickness to run the fast break. An unbelievable left or right handle. And also enough length and athleticism to pass and shoot over taller players.

That quickness and speed, length and athleticism, should also translate into being able to defend the best point guards in the league.

And while we’ve seen improbable blocks against seven footers and steals turned into easy fast break points, his overall defense has been questioned. 

A lot of that has to do with lack of experience against NBA quality players. I think that as his body matures and he gains strength, and with more playing time at the point and in general, he will become a great defender.

Sure he plays a different game than Jason Kidd. But is there anything wrong with that? Is it really that different or is just that he’s been playing a different position?

Do all these qualities lend themselves to that of a “true” point guard? I believe so. 

In my mind, Rodrigue Beaubois will bring amazing to Dallas.

And for all the reasons above, he should not be traded.