National Basketball Association

Aminu making himself hard to ignore

Published Feb. 3, 2015 11:38 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dallas Mavericks forward Al-Farouq Aminu is now the team's most indispensable bench player. He's played extremely well in recent weeks, filling the stat sheet and providing highlight worthy plays on a regular basis.

"He's been great," Dirk Nowitzki said. "He fell a little bit out of the rotation and really just got another opportunity and made the best out of it. Just playing with energy, blocking shots, bumping his chest, just being active. It's been fun to watch." The Mavs hoped the 6-foot-8 Aminu, a 24-year-old former lottery pick, would be a minimum-salary bargain when they signed him this summer. He's a flawed offensive player -- that's a polite way to say he can't shoot -- but the Mavs saw him as a proven rebounder with potential to be an outstanding defender.

(H/T: ESPN Dallas)