Mavericks have the recipe for dominance just staring them in the face

The Dallas Mavericks clearly want to use size to their advantage. That is evidenced by their unwillingness to start a guard when fully healthy, instead opting for a jumbo lineup with Cooper Flagg at point guard. Reluctantly, the team has started Max Christie as most of the frontcourt deals with injuries. But when healthy, Jason Kidd seems intent on going big.

And while this strategy has been met with criticism (some by the author of this piece, in fact) there is one facet it clearly works; scoring in the paint. In wins, the Mavericks average 63.0 points per game in the paint. In losses, they average 35.6. In other words, when the Mavs use their size to dominate the paint, they're a good team. When they don't... They're not!

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are No. 24 in 3-point percentage, and No. 28 in attempts. The team doesn't pose much threat from outside, and while that makes their identity as an inside, hard-nosed team even clearer, it also makes that identity tougher to inhabit.

Thus, getting into at least the top 20 in 3-point shooting will be an important development for this team — attacking the paint is a little tougher when defenses can camp four guys in there because they're not afraid of any Maverick shooting the ball.

Mavericks need to play to their strengths

While I have been skeptical of this rotational experimentation by Jason Kidd, I do concede that a lineup full of 6-foot-8 and taller guys should dominate the interior. And when those lineups consist of Anthony Davis, PJ Washington, Cooper Flagg, and other guys who can create offense for themselves in the paint instead of just being lob-catchers, this is an advantage the Mavs need to exploit.

Finding an identity is important for NBA teams, especially those with as many questions as this Mavs squad. Smashing teams in the paint and scoring inside might be the identity of this team. In fact, it kind of has to be if Jason Kidd wants to keep rolling out massive lineups. But for that identity to flourish, there has to be at least the threat of outside shooting.

Offense in the NBA is a Catch-22. One facet unlocks others, and the Mavericks — a great team in the paint — need to be at least passable from outside to do that. But if the Mavs pose no threat from outside, it makes scoring inside tougher, too. Can this team strike the perfect balance?