Jason Kidd's massive change is key to fixing Mavericks' glaring problem

Jaren Boslow

Apr 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) and Dallas / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

After embarrassingly dropping Game 1 by a score of 109-97, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back in LA to take a gutsy 96-93 victory. With that win over the Clippers, the Mavs have successfully split their first two games 1-1 headed back to Dallas.

For the first time since March 31, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was able to play after sitting out for nearly a month with right knee inflammation. With this in mind, Dallas needed to shift their game plan after a rough first game.

Throughout Game 2, the Mavericks made it a point of emphasis to begin the game with high energy and an elevated sense of physicality after Clippers center Ivica Zubac exposed the Mavericks in Game 1 for their lack of physicality and rebounding.

Jason Kidd's two-big lineup is key to fixing Mavericks' rebounding struggles

One way Jason Kidd combated the Mavericks' rebounding problems was to instill a two-big lineup with both rookie center Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber. With the two on the floor at the same time, it virtually made Zubac powerless on the offensive glass.

For the first time in this series, the Mavericks were able to outrebound the Clippers, and it can be directly correlated to Kidd's new two-big lineup. However, one concern that fans have had with having two bigs on the floor at one time was that it would create too much congestion on the offensive end of the floor.

Not only was this not a problem for Dallas, but in large part, it helped space the floor. Having a player of Kleber's spacing ability can help ensure the Mavericks that they can keep two bigs on the floor for extended periods.

It's still a far fetch for the Mavericks to run a bigger lineup for 48 straight minutes against the Clippers, considering that they have three superstars that lurk around the perimeter, but when the Mavericks need stable possessions, they can always look to Kleber and Lively II.

The Mavericks will need to continue to make adjustments if they wish to pull this series out, but watching Kidd instill a two-big lineup after physicality and rebounding struggles is a promising sign and he deserves his flowers.

For more updates on Jason Kidd, Dereck Lively II, and the Dallas Mavericks playoff series against the LA Clippers, stay plugged in.

Jaren Boslow

Jaren Boslow is a contributor for The Smoking Cuban, where he has been covering the Dallas Mavericks since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Jaren is currently an undergrad student at the University of North Texas studying sports journalism. In addition to writing for The Smoking Cuban, Jaren is the beat writer for the North Texas men's and women's golf teams. While Jaren has only recently gotten into the journalism side of sports, he has been a longtime fan of the Mavericks for over a decade. Through his passion for sports and Mavericks basketball, Jaren offers a unique perspective to fans of the Dallas Mavericks. Outside of covering Mavericks basketball, Jaren is a full-time student who enjoys working out and spending quality time with friends.