Mavericks: 3 adjustments to watch for in home opener vs. Rockets

Adjustment Dallas Mavericks fans should watch for vs. Rockets: 2. Small Ball

Head coach Jason Kidd played with just one big man on the floor more in the second game. His most-used lineup was the starting five at 12.9 of the 48 minutes, but they played small for 23.6 minutes or nearly half the game.

Having one lone big man surrounded by four wings allows Dallas to space the floor and defend. They want to improve their defense this season, so putting more players on the floor that can guard on the perimeter is massive. The Raptors play small with a lot of switchability, so the Mavs countered with some of their own. Will that continue against Houston?

The Rockets are going to start Daniel Theis and Christian Wood in the frontcourt, so Dallas will likely play bigger. When the bench comes in, Houston goes small, so expect the Mavericks to counter with a small ball lineup of their own.

Kidd played a lot of different lineups in Toronto. He tried several combinations around the lone big man and at the center spot. Will he do something similar in the home opener or has he landed on a few preferred groupings? How often and with what players are the Dallas Mavericks playing small is something to watch on Tuesday night.