5 Questions I Have For the 2016-17 Dallas Mavericks

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Aug 1, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; United States forward Harrison Barnes (8) drives against Nigeria guard Michel Umeh (5) in the second quarter during an exhibition basketball game at Toyota Center. United States won 110 to 66. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

3. How Much Small Ball Will We See?

When the Golden State Warriors trotted out their “death lineup” over the past couple of years with Draymond Green at center, it was Harrison Barnes that played undersized at the four.

Now that Barnes is in Dallas, how much small ball will we see this year?

Last year, when Chandler Parsons was fully healthy, Dallas experimented some with Parsons at the four and it brought a whole different look to the Mavericks. This allowed Dallas to play with either two point guards or experiment with Justin Anderson, Wesley Matthews and Parsons on the court together.

This could be an alternative to help reduce Dirk’s minutes. With Nowitzki on the bench, Dallas could roll out an athletic unit of Williams, Matthews, Anderson, Barnes, and Bogut that could defend many lineups in the league.

Dallas could also run a three point unit with Williams, Curry, Matthews, Barnes, and Nowitzki that could be difficult for some teams to guard.

But will small ball be something that is in the game plan on a nightly basis?

Next: Seth Curry