Kidd's upcoming inevitable starting lineup tweak will define the Mavericks' season

The Dallas Mavericks entered the NBA All-Star break with a two-game winning streak after their gutsy win over the Miami Heat last Thursday night, and they have now won four of their last five games. This winning streak was unexpected considering how much adversity the team has dealt with since the Luka Doncic trade, and the squad is responding courageously to everything being thrown their way.

They believe that they can win any game at any time, and Jason Kidd deserves more credit for his ability to rally his team under any circumstance. He is doing the most he can with what the Mavericks have right now, and that was especially true against Miami when Dallas found a way to win with eight players out.

Kidd said he has never seen anything like this in his days of playing and coaching when it comes to injuries, and they seemingly just keep rolling in as Daniel Gafford is now out for at least six weeks with an MCL sprain. Gafford's availability has been one of his main strengths over the last few years, and now Dallas' center rotation is whittled all the way down to almost nothing. Kylor Kelley is the only healthy center on the roster right now, and even with all of the injuries, he isn't getting much playing time.

Kidd has rolled with Kessler Edwards as the starting center over the last few games, and while he has been solid in his minutes and had one of the best games of his career against the Heat last week, it's time for Kidd to make another change to the starting lineup.

Why Jason Kidd must start P.J. Washington at center

P.J. Washington has missed the last three games with a right ankle sprain that he suffered against the Houston Rockets on February 8, and once he returns, Kidd will likely make him the starting center until Anthony Davis, Gafford, Dereck Lively II, or Dwight Powell gets healthy. Washington has been outstanding in his role this season as the team's starting four as he is averaging 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from downtown, and him becoming the team's new small-ball starting center could end up being a seamless change.

Washington has played some small-ball center for Dallas this season, and these lineups displayed some fiery potential. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 230 pounds, Washington has the strong frame to play the five when needed, and his improved 3-point shooting this season has made him even more deadly in these scenarios.

The Mavericks can play a five-out offense when Washington is on the floor at center, and his cutting, in-between game, and ability to take slower players off the dribble when needed are all intriguing skills that opposing teams would have to account for. He would be able to pull these centers out of the paint due to his gravity as a shooter,

On the other end, Washington's job is a little bit more complicated, but his defense is strong enough to where he can hold his own. Matchups are going to be much different, as he isn't used to defending centers every time down the floor, but he doesn't back down from anyone and is an underrated shot blocker.

He is already the heart and soul of the team, as his passion and intensity shine right through him every time he steps on the floor, and this next challenge is going to be pivotal for him as well as the team as a whole. Washington's ability to anchor the defense until one of the bigs returns will be crucial for potential standings implications and him thriving in this role could also lead to Kidd experimenting with these lineups more often. Dallas' performance during the time until one of the bigs gets healthy will likely make or break the season, and Washington is going to have a lot on his plate.

Kidd pulling out lineups with Washington at the five once the team is healthy will likely be extremely rare since they have Gafford, Lively II, and Davis already, but knowing that Washington is at least capable of holding down the fort in spurts would be a positive realization for him. Washington has always shown dedication to do whatever Kidd asks of him on the floor, and him playing heavy minutes at center is going to be the next step in his Mavericks journey as the team struggles to get healthy.