4 Rotation changes Jason Kidd must consider for Mavericks to win Finals

The Dallas Mavericks are amid their third-ever NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics right now, and later today, they'll play in one of the biggest games in franchise history.

Dallas lost Game 1 to the Celtics in blowout fashion on Thursday night, and now they have to find a way to respond. The Mavs have been in this position countless times, as they have been notorious for losing Game 1s during the Jason Kidd era, and they have to find a way to even up the series at 1-1 before heading back to Dallas.

Climbing out of an 0-2 hole would be extremely hard, especially considering how talented the Celtics are, and the Mavs have to shift into high gear for the remainder of the series if they want to win the 2024 NBA Finals.

4 Rotation changes Jason Kidd must consider for Mavericks to win Finals

Not everything is gloom and doom for the Mavs, as Luka Doncic played phenomenally in Game 1 and P.J. Washington emerged as a key X-factor in this series, but there may be some changes that Kidd needs to make.

It's clear that the plan Kidd has been using all playoffs long has been working, but there may be some lineup changes that he needs to make to take down Boston (especially if the Mavs go down 0-2).

It may not be time for the Mavs to switch away from the game plan that has brought them here just yet, but there are some glaring changes that Kidd could make to improve Dallas' chances.

Here are four lineup changes that Jason Kidd must make for the Dallas Mavericks to defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.

4. Bench Tim Hardaway Jr. completely

The Dallas Mavericks have given Tim Hardaway Jr. every chance to prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation in the playoffs despite his gnarly shooting slump he's been in for multiple months, and his struggles have inched into the playoffs.

In the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from downtown, and he proved that Jason Kidd can't trust him in the NBA Finals in Game 1.

Despite only playing eight minutes, Hardaway Jr. finished with zero points while shooting 0-2 from the field, and it may be time to completely scratch him from the playoff rotation. Over the last five games Hardaway Jr. has played in, he's scored a total of just seven points over 41 minutes. Considering Hardaway Jr. averaged 14.4 points per game during the regular season, that's a huge regression.

In Game 1, it seemed like Kidd was just looking for a spark in the offense during that second half and he brought Hardaway Jr. in, but those days of him providing a spark off the bench are long gone.

The 2024 Finals may mark the end of Hardaway Jr.'s time in Dallas, and it's time for Kidd to look elsewhere when he needs a spark on offense.

3. Give Jaden Hardy more minutes

If Jason Kidd decides to completely bench Tim Hardaway Jr., someone who could get more minutes is Jaden Hardy. Hardy has had excellent flashes during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and his fearlessness and passion have helped get him back into the rotation after being in and out of the rotation during the regular season.

In Game 1, Hardy finished with 13 points, three rebounds, and one assist while shooting 4-8 from the field, 1-3 from downtown, and 4-4 from the free-throw line. Most of Hardy's production came during garbage time when the game was out of reach, but at this time there isn't anything that Hardaway Jr. does better than Hardy.

He knocks down open shots, attacks the rim with no fear, and is a much-improved lob passer. The lob wasn't there for all of Game 1, but Hardy is someone who is ready for an elevated role and could help keep the Boston Celtics crowd out of the game early.

Being a spark plug off the bench is Hardy's specialty, and he may just be the unexpected X-factor for the Mavs to win the 2024 NBA Finals. He has never been one to shy away from the big moment, and his play during the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves cemented his spot into the nightly rotation.

2. Bench Dante Exum completely

The Dallas Mavericks struck gold last offseason when they signed Dante Exum to a two-year deal. This was a move that surprised some Mavs fans, and seemed questionable at first considering that there wasn't any other rumored interest in Exum, but he quickly proved why he he was perfect for the Mavs.

Exum's improvement as a shooter cemented his spot in the rotation, and his ability to be a third ball handler outside of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving was outstanding. He then started struggling towards the end of the season, and his struggles continued into the playoffs.

Exum has been unplayable in the postseason, and although Exum isn't playing much, he is still getting minutes at times. He shows zero confidence when he's in the game, and it may be time for Jason Kidd to completely scratch him completely from the rotation.

He isn't bringing any value in his minutes, and just like Tim Hardaway Jr., some players should be playing in front of him. An unconfident Exum is not making any type of impact offensively, and on defense, he does well occasionally, but it doesn't make enough of a case for him to be playing in the regular rotation.

Exum already isn't playing much to begin with, but if he isn't making an offensive impact, it's not worth Kidd playing him.

1. Start Dereck Lively II in favor of Daniel Gafford

The Dallas Mavericks have one of the best problems in basketball. They have two starting caliber centers with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and although this duo forms an elite one-two punch, one center is the clear better option against the Boston Celtics.

Lively II has been outplaying Gafford, and it may be time for Jason Kidd to start him over Gafford. Lively II moves his feet much better in space compared to Gafford, and with the playstyle of Boston's bigs, it's necessary that the center can close out effectively and play sound defense on the perimeter.

In Game 1, Gafford played 14 minutes compared to Lively II's 18 minutes, and it's clear who the better option is in this series. Within the first few minutes of the game, Gafford flew past Al Horford when closing out on a three and it led to a Horford dunk.

Starting Lively II wouldn't be too much of a change, especially since Lively II already plays more and often closes the game, and it could help the Mavs begin the game with heavy energy.

The Mavs need Lively II at his best moving forward in this series, especially since his Game 1 was fairly ineffective due to foul trouble, and he could be a big part of slowing Kristaps Porzingis down. Lively II was bringing physicality against Porzingis, which he clearly didn't like, but foul trouble plagued his night.

This isn't suggesting that the Mavs should panic by any means, but a slight change in the team's opening lineup could be the recipe for a dominant start. Gafford had a good game or two against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Lively II has been a bit better.

Kidd has had an excellent playoffs, but a few changes could be key later in this series.

For all the latest on Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, stay tuned.