Dallas Mavericks: 3 lineups the team should try this season

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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 12: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Luka Doncic #77 and Tim Hardaway Jr. #11 of the Dallas Mavericks shake hands against the San Antonio Spurs on March 12, 2019 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Sean Berry/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Small Ball

Whether we want to admit it or not, the Mavericks are going to have to accept the fact that they won’t have Kristaps available every single game. Obviously the team will try to maximize as much time as possible out of the big man from Latvia, but there will be restrictions and rest games that Dallas will have to find a way to win.

One lineup I would like to see Dallas try out is a small ball lineup where Luka plays the 4 and Maxi plays the 5. A front three of J.J. Barea, Jalen Brunson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. might work well here as it would give Rick Carlisle all the guards he can handle in a single lineup. This lineup would obviously have to be specific to who is on the other side, but whether it is matchup based or exploitation based, I would like to see it from Dallas.

This lineup offers a lot of versatility and a lot of new looks that Dallas could take advantage of. For one, we really haven’t seen Luka play off the ball hardly at all. The Dennis Smith Jr. fiasco last year made us think we would see it some, but it ended up being short-lived before Luka was back at the helm. With J.J. and Jalen both on the court, Luka would get a chance to play catch and shoot a little.

This lineup would also move very quickly and not have a traditional big man, so there would be a chance to exploit a slower moving big without giving up too much since Maxi has guarded a number of centers in his day.

This lineup would be particularly fun because we would get a chance to see J.J. and Jalen work together. As the veteran floor general and the future floor general, this could make for some fun moments on the court.

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