NBA Mock Draft Pick #13 -- Shabazz Muhammad, Guard, UCLA
SB Nation's Mavs blog Mavs Moneyball explains the pick:
Muhammad is perhaps the most polarizing player in the draft, and certainly of those left on the board. Our own Jonathan Tjarks is a noted detractor, and he is not alone. However, I think all the things that might make Muhammad a very risky selection in the top 6 or 7 become far less so at the back end of the lottery, in what most consider a subpar draft. Frankly, I think some of his so called "red flags" may be overblown. He is criticized for not being a great athlete, but he didn't test poorly at the combine(his lane agility time and vertical leap were both better than Trey Burke's and Otto Porter's). His off-court troubles are well-documented, but he's also considered to be a hard worker and clutch performer, and Ben Howland's program at UCLA had become so unhealthy an environment that it's a surprise he lasted as long as he did.
Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say, and the scouting world is very familiar with Muhammad. The bottom line is that Dallas needs somebody -- anybody -- to take the scoring load off Dirk Nowitzki. Muhammad's motor and length should make up for the non-elite athleticism at the next level. With the Big German as the focal point of the offense, and coach Rick Carlisle on the sidelines, Shabazz lands softly after his draft day fall. Now Dallas can use their ample cap space to go find a veteran point guard and defensive minded center.