Mavericks must finally ax their failed Anthony Davis experiment

Over the course of the season, from the beginning to the 7-15 record the Dallas Mavericks currently possess, the team and superstar center Anthony Davis have had a complicated relationship. From not being able to stay healthy for extended periods of time to the Mavericks now potentially considering the idea of trading the one-time NBA champion, the two need to make one change on the court that will benefit both parties.

Since trading for Davis at the beginning of last year's trade deadline, the Mavericks have been committed to a double-big style of play where they would pair Davis alongside Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II; however, over the course of the regular season, it has been proven that Davis plays better as the lone five.

Not only has Davis seen some of his best production as Dallas's solo center on the floor, but the Mavericks have benefited greatly from the spacing that one center has allowed them to produce. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that more shooters on the floor gives the team more spacing, but with Davis soon to be the Mavericks' only starting five, the team could see its best stretch of success.

The Mavericks and Anthony Davis gel best when he plays center

For multiple years now, Davis has tried to make the argument that his natural position is at the four and not the five, dating all the way back to his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Mavericks have seen success with the double-big lineup, Davis accepting that he should be the Mavericks' only starting center with the amount of health problems that both Lively II and Gafford have faced would be a good start to getting back on the right foot.

Against the Denver Nuggets this week, Davis appeared in one of his first games back since suffering a strained calf, where he would dominate as Dallas' center without the presence of Lively II or Gafford. This not only gave the Mavericks a different sign of life on the offensive end, but Davis would also finish with his best stat line of the season, with 32 points and 13 rebounds on efficient shooting from the field.

With the lineup with Davis at the four, the Mavericks were at a clear handicap when it came to spacing on the floor and having multiple ball handlers who could freely spread the ball around. With Davis as Dallas' primary five, the Mavericks could see some of the best spacing of the entire season, even if they decide to build around Flagg at the trade deadline.

There is still plenty of buzz surrounding the Mavericks when it comes to moving on from Davis, but allowing the 14-year vet to freely play his game could only increase his stock on the trade market. To make matters even more, pushing for the Mavericks to start Davis at center, Lively II appears to be sidelined for the foreseeable future with a nagging foot injury, and it could limit the Mavericks to just Davis and Gafford as their starting-caliber bigs.

The Mavericks still have plenty of time before they truly decide to trade Davis or head in a different franchise direction with Flagg at the helm, but with Davis playing well as the Mavericks' starting center, there should be no reason to try and go back to making him a primary power forward.