Mavericks just found the painfully obvious fix for their biggest flaw

The Dallas Mavericks' 3-point shooting has been one of their biggest problems all season long, but it wasn't on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jason Kidd decided to start a small-ball lineup that placed P.J. Washington at center rather than on the wing, and it made a night-and-day difference for Dallas' offense.

The Mavericks shot 15-30 from beyond the arc in this game, a major improvement from their performance on Friday night. Dallas made just nine threes on Friday against Cleveland, and their surge from beyond the arc helped them secure their 23rd win of the season.

Mavericks finally discover the fix for their 3-point shooting problem

Every member of the starting five made at least one 3-pointer, with Washington, Max Christie, and Ryan Nembhard making two or more. The Mavericks' offense looked completely different with Washington at center compared to Daniel Gafford or one of Dallas' other rim-rolling bigs, and they should definitely explore using Washington (or a different floor-stretching big) at center more next season.

For most of the season, the Mavericks have played all 48 minutes with a non-shooting big man at center.

From Gafford to Dereck Lively II to Anthony Davis (before he was traded) to Dwight Powell, Dallas has not prioritized shooting in their frontcourt. They expected to dominate with their size, defense, and rebounding heading into this season, but that plan turned into a disaster. The Mavericks didn't have the offense to hang with the best teams in the league, with their 3-point shooting being one of their main issues.

Dallas is 29th in the NBA in threes made per game at 10.7 and 28th in 3-point percentage at 34.2. They haven't been taking or making enough threes all season, and as Sunday's game proved, having a big man who can shoot threes helps open up the offense significantly.

How P.J. Washington and Marvin Bagley III unlocked Dallas' offense

There was no longer a floor-spacing issue, and Washington switching his role a bit helped him snap out of a slump. He finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals while shooting 3-4 from long range, and even when he was off the floor, Dallas' spacing didn't suffer.

Marvin Bagley III has been excellent since being acquired in the Anthony Davis trade last month, and his ability to knock down open threes has been on display for his entire Mavericks stint so far. He is shooting a career-high 40 percent from downtown on the season, and while this is on low volume, he is at least a threat to step outside and make it rain from deep.

He made one 3-pointer against the Cavs on Sunday, and he was the only true center who played extended minutes behind Washington. Powell chipped in two minutes, but Washington and Bagley III held down the five for the duration of the game.

Cooper Flagg should love this lineup change

Cooper Flagg was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this added spacing, as he finished with 27 points while shooting 10-17 from the field. Having a true point guard out there with him definitely helped as well, but Washington's presence helped open up more driving lanes to get to the bucket.

Flagg and Washington's combined 47 points helped ignite some optimism in the fan base about their long-term future together as Dallas' wing duo, and the results from Sunday are impossible to overlook. They took down one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference on the road, and it all started with the additional floor spacing.

The Mavericks testing out a lineup that didn't employ a rim-rolling big at center was the perfect solution to their shooting woes, and Kidd may have found the perfect way to maximize Washington next to Flagg moving forward.