Mavericks take Justin Anderson with 21st pick

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A run on point guards may have forced the Dallas Mavericks' hand.

The Mavs selected Virginia small forward Justin Anderson with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.

Sample size. That's the key to how Mavericks fans will feel about Anderson, who at times in college looked like a 3-and-D marksman and at others looked like a player without a clear role in the NBA. His breakout junior campaign was accompanied by a 45.2-percent mark from long range, but was bookended by horrific freshman and sophomore numbers and a terrible shooting stretch to close the year.

Evaluating him remains difficult until he starts shooting in pro games, but there's every indication he has the work ethic to improve. He also profiles as an impact defender, with terrific length and athleticism, even though his steal rate was suppressed by Virginia's conservative system. His strength should make him a capable multi-position weapon, soemthing that's not lost on head coach Rick Carlisle.

At No. 21, it's worth rolling the dice that Anderson's stroke can be refined, even if the Mavs' more immediate need was at the point. With a run on guards not named Tyus Jones just before they picked, the Mavs changing gears and getting a player that can replace some of the outgoing minutes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Richard Jefferson, and Charlie Villanueva makes sense.

You can read more about Anderson in our scouting report.