Overlooked Anthony Davis move will make the Mavericks unstoppable

Heading into the 2025-25 season, one of the Dallas Mavericks' biggest strengths is without a doubt their size and physicality. Dallas already upgraded tremendously in this department when they traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will help in this area, too, given he's a bigger-bodied wing.

However, playing big lineups too often could have negative ripple effects in the form of lackluster spacing and shooting on the offensive end, though head coach Jason Kidd could make a subtle tweak when it comes to Anthony Davis' game that could alleviate some of these concerns for the Mavericks, that being letting Davis run more big-big pick and rolls.

Kidd tinkered with this toward the end of last season once Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford were fully healthy, and while this isn't an action that Dallas is going to be able to spam possession after possession, this is undoubtedly a great way the Mavericks can create some looks inside when teams crowd the paint against them because they are playing double-big.

Mavericks need to run more big-to-big pick and rolls with Anthony Davis

These actions would primarily involve Davis being the lead ball handler from the free-throw line-extended area, as Davis is one of the few bigs in the league who has a dynamic enough handle to be able to drive against some opposing wings and fellow opposing bigs. Davis has familiarity running these types of actions as well, as the New Orleans Pelicans let him initiate pick and rolls alongside DeMarcus Cousins back in the day.

While Davis isn't an elite playmaker by any means, he's a solid passer for a big and quick decision maker, which would bode well when making decisions in the pick and roll with one of Lively II or Gafford screening for him. Davis has the finishing chops and dribble-drive game to punish opposing defenders if they hedge too aggressively or over-commit to the roller in these scenarios, so this is a strategy that could undoubtedly work against more weak defensive wings and bigs.

Again, teams would probably start playing more zone or try to bring more help defense from the wing if the Mavericks did this too much, but it'd be a great way for Dallas to create some easy offense for maybe two-three possessions a game, which could very well be the difference in some contests considering how many games come down to the wire in this hyper-competitive league.

To really counteract Dallas' potential lack of spacing and shooting when going double-big, Davis will need to be fairly efficient from the mid-range and outside, and Dallas will also need some positive shooting variance from wings like P.J. Washington, Flagg, and Naji Marshall, but running more big-big pick-and-rolls is certainly a wrinkle that Kidd and Davis need to explore more next season.

Davis barely got anytime alongside Gafford and Lively II toward the end of last season, and this big man trio's size and physicality is 100 percent one of the most exciting prospects heading into next season, as it gives the Mavericks a clear advantage against certain opponents, and could be absolutely lethal against everyone in the league if Dallas gets some of their aforementioned swing factors to tip in their direction.