Mavericks are cornering Max Christie into an unforgiving spot for next season

Perhaps the most widely talked about deficiency on the Dallas Mavericks roster next season is their lack of elite guard talent with Kyrie Irving out of the rotation for an indefinite amount of time. Many fans and analysts are concerned that Dallas won't have enough spacing and shooting on the perimeter since they have a heavy reliance on playing double-big next season.

However, what could be an even bigger issue for the Mavericks next season is none other than their point-of-attack defense. While Dallas is undoubtedly going to be huge next season, they have dynamic players on the wing that can create their own shots like Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington, and D'Angelo Russell is primed for a bounce-back season offensively.

Russell and Klay Thompson (at this stage in his career) are not an idealistic starting backcourt from a defensive perspective, though, and Dallas will be relying heavily on their guards off the bench to guard some of the more quicker-footed guards and wings in the league next season. As of right now, Max Christie, Brandon Williams, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy will be making up Dallas' guard rotation off the bench. Out of that bunch, only three of those guys will likely be in the rotation, and probably only two of them will be getting prominent minutes. That being said, the Mavericks will need Christie to become an elite perimeter defender next season, as he is primed to see consistent minutes next season and fits this prototype.

Mavericks need Christie to be an elite point-of-attack defender this year

It's without a doubt that Caleb Martin and Exum have proven to be solid perimeter defenders throughout their careers, but Martin is more tailored to guard wings compared to lightning-quick guards with insane dribble packages, and Exum has proven to be inconsistent in terms of his durability.

While Christie's three-level scoring came and went depending on the game last season, he undoubtedly competed extremely hard defensively, and his work ethic was noticed by Dallas' coaching staff and the media. Christie is a solid perimeter defender and meets the eye test with a wiry 6-foot-5 frame, but he hasn't entered the elite category quite yet, as he still needs to add more strength and lateral discipline.

As aforementioned, though, Christie is a tireless worker and has plenty of room to grow at only 22 years old, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that he could be up to this task. After ditching Quentin Grimes and Josh Green in the last two seasons, Dallas' lack of point-of-attack defense is a glaring void in their rotation, and they can't be so reliant upon Thompson and Martin to be guarding the most quick-footed guards next season, so this is a prime opportunity for Christie to step up in the rotation if he can be a menace on the perimeter.

If Dallas' issues at the point-of-attack become too rough next season, head coach Jason Kidd could even consider starting Christie at some point next season, as Christie could already force the issue in this department if his three-level scoring stands out as well. From a value perspective, Dallas is hoping Christie can become a high-level role player because of his inclusion in the Doncic trade, but they also need his skillset on the perimeter defensively next season more than ever, and this could help Christie stick in Dallas once the Flagg era fully takes off.