Mavericks' path to becoming the NBA's nightmare matchup is already crystal clear

Heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks and their organization have championship aspirations, as one does not trade their superstar in Luka Doncic after he led them to the NBA Finals just months beforehand if they don't envision that trade thrusting them over the NBA's mountain top.

Of course, many critics and skeptics at the national level don't think the Mavericks have a talented enough roster to make a deep playoff run, considering the hefty amount of time Kyrie Irving is projected to miss rehabbing from a torn ACL this season. However, the Mavericks still have a deep and talented roster with or without Irving, but they simply don't have as dynamic a shot creation threat until he returns, meaning they'll have to lean on other areas of strength on their roster to come away victorious in some of their tougher matchups next season.

One of Dallas' potential biggest strengths next season is their size and physicality within the frontcourt, as the Mavericks can roll out one of the biggest starting lineups in the league from the get-go. This lineup would include Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and one of D'Angelo Russell or Klay Thompson. There's been uncertainty from fans in regard to which two players between Russell, Thompson, and Washington will come off the bench, but if Dallas elects to start Washington at the very least, their sheer size may be too formidable against most opponents, which could drastically raise their ceiling next season.

Mavericks' jumbo lineup could dramatically raise their ceiling

There are obvious spacing and shooting concerns when scheming about a lineup that would include two bigs and two bigger-bodied wings, as Washington would be the only player out of that contingent that has proven to be an above-average shooter from distance at the NBA level.

However, there were instances last season where the Mavericks simply dominated opposing teams because of how much of a rebounding and rim protection advantage some of their bigger lineups gave them, as was the case in Davis' debut versus the Houston Rockets on February 8.

This may not be replicable every night, considering other teams in the West have geared up to play some bigger lineups of their own, but with a more balanced attack and a far less injured lineup compared to at the end of last season, the Mavericks' jumbo lineups could prove to give them a hedge against most of their opponents.

A lot of this will come down to how self-sufficient Davis can be at the offensive end as well as how much Russell and Brandon Williams can come close to replicating Irving's production, but the Mavericks will undoubtedly have games next season where they win despite shooting poorly, and it's going to be because they have strong, quick-footed, and athletic bigs/wings that will make it a nightmare for opposing teams to score on.

We'll likely find out after the first quarter of the season whether these lineups will be far more dominant than many at the national level are giving Dallas credit for, or if the shooting, spacing, and playmaking concerns with these bigger lineups become too prominent to where the Mavericks can only play bigger situationally. Regardless, Dallas' size and how head coach Jason Kidd employs that size in his lineups are some of the most intriguing storylines with this team heading into next season, and it is a swing factor that could make or break Dallas' record once Irving returns from injury.