Anthony Davis must fix under-the-radar fatal flaw to save Nico Harrison's master plan

Since trading for Anthony Davis on February 1, the Dallas Mavericks have been fully committed to size and the philosophy of the double-big lineup. Not only do the Mavericks have the potential to roll out a full 48 minutes of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford at the center position, but by adding Davis, the Mavericks are now fully on board with the double-big lineup as they have one of the tallest starting lineups in the entire NBA.

While the Mavericks can easily dominate down low and on the glass, the team still has a major hole when it comes to shooting and spacing the floor. With this in mind, Davis must be willing to shoot and make threes at a consistent clip to keep the defenses on their heels as well as save one of Nico Harrison's biggest gambles of his professional career.

Having Davis space the floor would not only help the Mavericks on the offensive end, but it would be critical if Jason Kidd believes that the double-big lineup can be successful in today's NBA. Davis should be expected to take more 3-point shot attempts, but he also must be able to make them if the Mavericks want to continue to rank in the top half of teams that take and make shots from behind the arc.

Davis needs to make it rain from three for double-big lineup to work

Dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis was continually asked to take more shots from behind the arc, and while over the course of a season, Davis' production from deep would steadily decline, the same still holds for Davis in Dallas. In his time with the Mavericks last season, Davis attempted over three shots from behind the arc per game, which tied his career high.

Taking shots from behind the arc is not only important for Davis, but also making shots at a consistent clip will make Dallas one of the deadliest teams in the NBA. At his peak in the 2017-18 NBA season, Davis made shots from behind the arc at a 34 percent clip, which is under league average. If the Mavericks want to make another playoff push, Davis will need to make around the same number of shots from behind the 3-point line.

There's no doubt that at Davis's peak of 3-point consistency, he was one of the most feared NBA players, and in fact, during the Lakers' run to the 2020 NBA Finals, Davis was on a complete burner and was largely one of the reasons they tormented every team they played. As a Maverick, Davis' role will be a little different from what it was in 2020, but with a center alongside him, Davis is truly in his dream situation.

As currently constructed, the Mavericks have a severe shortage of 3-point shot makers, and if Davis wants to continue playing the four in Dallas' offense, he must be willing to stretch out his game. The Mavericks are already asking a ton out of an aging Klay Thompson and a rookie Cooper Flagg, but it's already clear to see where Davis will need to make his improvements and sacrifices.

Assuming Davis can reach career peaks shooting the ball from deep, the Mavericks would ultimately open up the pick-and-pop game, which is something they could hopefully do with Lively II. Adding two bigs who can space the floor would only make Dallas one of the most respected offenses in the entire league.