Mavs Starting Lineup: Jason Kidd Reveals Plans for 2022-23 Season
LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Mavericks will have a different look next season. While the core elements remain the same, the supporting cast will be different. Jalen Brunson is now a New York Knick while Christian Wood and JaVale McGee are Mavs.
Given the success the Mavericks experienced after deploying Brunson as Luka Doncic's full-time starting backcourt partner, there has been questions raised about what they plan to do now that he's gone.
During an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd revealed the Mavericks' plans for their starting lineup after losing Brunson to the Knicks in free agency.
"We can't replace Brunson," Kidd said. "He's a great player. I'm happy for him and his family signing a deal in New York. Well deserved. We wanted him back but he picked New York. But when you talk about Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. coming back, everybody's asked this question and we believe the points will be there.
"And we believe we're going to be a bigger team. Nothing against JB's height, but with Spencer starting, our starting five is going to be big with JaVale starting at the center. We believe we're going to have a lot more offense coming off the bench."
It's clear the Mavericks feel their limitations on the boards throughout their run to the Western Conference Finals was something that requires personnel adjustments. With Wood and McGee in the frontcourt, there will be two bigs instead of one undersized five. Now, no player will be below 6-foot-5 in the starting lineup either.
It remains to be seen how going big will end up working out for the Mavericks. They achieved a lot of success defensive midway through last season large in part due to going small and maximizing their speed as a unit. Having two wings, Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith, to swarm around within the half-court and handle tough assignments went a long way, especially in the playoffs.
McGee will be 35 next season and while he's an explosive vertical athlete, he is limited guarding out in space. How much does he have left in the tank? Also, Wood has shown to hold his own out in space at times, but consistency has always been a question for him.
How Wood is involved in the Mavericks' half-court offense will be interesting to see. He can space out to allow Doncic to run high pick-and-roll with McGee, but there will be limitations when it's Wood setting the screen and McGee is off the ball, likely in the dunker spot. Will they rely more on pick-and-pop? What about deploying double drag or "Stack" pick-and-roll?
Wood will have a size advantage against most matchups when playing the four. Will they dump the ball to him for isolation and post-ups? If so, can he make the most of a unit that has a non-shooting big and includes Doncic, who tends to look off catch-and-shoot attempts when he spaces the floor?
There are some questions that are raised by any personnel combination a team chooses to deploy since there is no perfect way to play basketball. It will be intriguing to see how a basketball mind like Kidd problem solves for new limitations and enhances new strengths.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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