Mavericks like what they see with Tunisian center Salah Mejri

The more the Dallas Mavericks’ management talks about Salah Mejri, the more it seems likely that the rookie free-agent center from Tunisia will make the team’s final 15-man roster.

And, unless the Mavericks plan on keeping four centers, that could mean Samuel Dalembert may not make the team.

Mejri has been a pleasant surprise in training camp. The rail-thin 7-foot-2, 235-pounder has shown an affinity for blocking shots and getting in position to rebound.

Mejri obviously needs some work on his offense. But the Mavericks appear more than willing to wait for that progression to take shape.

“He’s doing a good job,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He finishes, he’s got a good feel for the game. We’ve got to keep working with him.”

In four games, Mejri has 17 points, 28 rebounds and four blocks, and is 7 of 20 from the field. The Mavericks (0-6) will get one last look at him before the regular season starts when they play their final preseason game at 7 p.m. Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena against the Chicago Bulls (3-4).

“I love Salah — Salah is a player,” owner Mark Cuban said. “Once he gets into a little bit better shape and a little more accustomed, he’s athletic and he can run. I’ve just gotten to like him a lot.”

With JaVale McGee and Zaza Pachulia already slated to make the final roster, the success of Mejri could translate into Dalembert not making the team. Especially since he has missed the past two games with a left leg injury, and will also miss Friday’s game.

“When it started to bother me I kept playing on it and I kept practicing on it,” Dalembert said of his injured leg. “I didn’t want to sit down, but it’s a matter of stubbornness. … I have to realize I’m not 22 years old. So you need to give the body time to heal.”

When asked if he thought his time missing games because of his leg injury would jeopardize his chances of making the final roster, Dalembert said he didn’t know.

“You never know in this business,” said Dalembert, who has 18 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks and is 8 of 15 from the field in four games. “Everybody knows what I can do. I played here before, I’m consistently out there and have played in a lot of games. But if that’s the case, then so be it.”

The Mavericks waived center/forward Jarrid Famous and signed free-agent point guard Tu Holloway on Thursday.

Mejri made an impression at Afrobasket 2015 this summer. Cuban’s eyes glisten as he played a replay on his cellphone of the Tunisian blocking the shots of Al-Farouq Aminu during Tunisia’s 70-59 win over Nigeria in the international tournament. Aminu played for Dallas last year and signed a four-year, $30 million free-agent contract with Portland over the summer.

Mejri, 29, played for Real Madrid the past three seasons, and is basically raw when it comes to the NBA game.

“The biggest thing with him is this is a different game over here than what he’s use to playing,” Carlisle said. “It’s officiated differently. The FIBA game is just vastly different than the NBA game. But he’s making the adjustment and he’s a smart guy, so he’ll get there.”

Only time will tell about the progress Mejri makes during his stay with the Mavericks.

“I think I’m getting better each game, and I’m enjoying being here,” he said. “It’s a great experience for me, so I have to try to learn every day, every game something new. I think I need to get better, especially in offense. I can’t shoot mid-range. That’s the job of the coach to help me, plus it’s my thing to get use to it.”

And once Mejri gets accustomed to the NBA game, the Mavericks believe his game could soar to new heights.

“He’s not going to give you anything offensively other than put-backs,” Cuban said. “But he can catch the ball, he’s good on the pick-and-rolls, and he does a good job of staying down on pump fakes.

“Conditioning-wise he’s not all the way there yet. So hopefully once he gets a little bit stronger and gets into condition, he’ll be even better.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Mavericks like what they see with Tunisian center Salah Mejri."