5 Obvious, 5 subtle moves Jason Kidd must make to turn Mavs into legit contenders

4. Obvious: Start Daniel Gafford

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd changed the starting lineup for the first time in a while on Thursday night as he started Daniel Gafford over Dereck Lively II. It was clear after Gafford's first game with Dallas that Kidd may eventually have a tough choice to make on who to start, and Gafford got the starting nod over Lively II on Thursday night.

Against the Miami Heat, Gafford finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal, and one block while shooting 5-5 from the field. Gafford brings more energy than anyone else on the team, and making him the starting center consistently could benefit both him and Lively II.

While both centers remain crucial for the Mavs, starting Gafford helps Lively II because it allows him to see the game before checking in. Lively II occasionally gets into foul trouble at the start of games, and starting Gafford lets Lively II see what kind of fouls the refs are calling and how the opposing big men are playing.

With Gafford starting, he can bring energy, protect the rim, and catch some lobs, and then Lively II can check in and do the same thing. It seems that the Mavs aren't running as many pick and rolls for Lively II as they did at the beginning of the season, and Dallas having two starting-caliber centers is a great problem to have.