While the Dallas Mavericks have been fairly secretive about which players they are bringing in for private workouts in the run up to the 2012 NBA Draft, a few of the names have started to leak out.
After UNC PG Kendall Marshall worked out with the team last week, Dallasbasketball.com is reporting that the Mavericks are working out Syracuse C Fab Melo on Wednesday:
Fab Melo was in Dallas last night, checking into the Hilton, sampling the scene at the Uptown Bar & Grill (today's his 22nd birthday) and readying to work out for the Mavs today, DallasBasketball.com has learned. The Syracuse center was wearing a t-shirt given him by the Pacers, who are so impressed they say he performed ‘off the charts.'
Melo, an athletic 7'0 250 sophomore center from Brazil, is an intriguing prospect defensively but is still a long way towards contributing to an NBA team on the other end of the floor. He averaged only 7.8 points a game as a sophomore, and his offensive repertoire consists mostly of finishing wide open dunks.
As a result, he's a long-term project who probably won't be able to help Dallas in the short-term, even with the team's glaring hole at the center position.
From a scouting report I wrote on Melo for the NBA Draft Toolbox earlier in the year:
Best case: Athletic 7-footer capable of anchoring defense and finishing at the rim -- Robin Lopez. Worst case: Third-string center without skill to do much more than commit six hard fouls -- Jarron Collins.
A highlight tape from his sophomore season:
For more on the Mavericks draft plans, stay tuned to the SB Nation Dallas storystream as well as Mavs Moneyball.