Where the Mavericks went wrong in the 2021 offseason: Can they fix it?

Dallas Mavericks failed to address center position this offseason

New head coach Jason Kidd made it clear during training camp that he viewed Kristaps Porzingis as a four and planned to start him next to a traditional big man.

The Mavs have done just that this season with disastrous results. Their net rating with KP and Dwight Powell on the floor is negative-8.7. Porzingis and Willie Cauley-Stein sits at negative-14.8, and it is a massive negative-75.7 in the six minutes the Unicorn has shared the floor with Boban Marjanovic.

The two big men set up has not worked, and it is difficult to blame KP. Yes, he is shooting just 30.1 percent from 3-point range, but the Unicorn is averaging 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. His play has improved significantly from last season.

The group of centers has not played well, and Dallas passed on Hassan Whiteside, Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard, Dewayne Dedmon, Cody Zeller, and Frank Kaminsky, who are all making less money than Cauley-Stein and Bobi this season.

If the Mavericks entered the offseason with the plan of playing KP at the four, they should have been searching for center upgrades. It is difficult to believe that the Mavs could not have signed one of the players listed above to improve their roster.