Unexpected Anthony Davis move unlocks a major Mavericks advantage

Off the heels of a huge resurgence game versus the Houston Rockets, Anthony Davis is finally shaping into form this season for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have been far more successful with Davis playing the five a majority of the time due to the increased spacing this allows offensively, but they've also benefited from a rebounding perspective with Davis playing more center, which is something many fans and analysts didn't necessarily see coming.

Davis is a far better individual rebounder compared to Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford, but with it seeming like the Mavericks were going to play a lot more double-big lineups before the season started, many expected Dallas' big man trio to split most of the rebounding duties somewhat evenly. However, Dallas had had some of their best rebounding games of the season recently, with Davis being the lone center on the floor next to Cooper Flagg or P.J. Washington at the four.

With Gafford and Lively II's health being in flux as of recent, there's no reason for head coach Jason Kidd to veer away from playing Davis at the five, especially since Dallas' defense and rebounding have only gotten better since he returned to the lineup

Anthony Davis at center is fixing one of the Mavs' major flaws

Even if Lively II and Gafford both return to the lineup and Kidd opts to experiment with double-big, Davis unquestionably has more strength and better positioning as a rebounder compared to both Lively II and Gafford, so Dallas runs the risk of their best rebounder being dragged away from the basket far more often if Davis is having to defend fours in a double-big lineup.

Now obviously, if the Mavericks are playing double-big, rebounding should be one of the biggest strengths of a lineup like that. However, it's becoming increasingly clear that double-big lineups haven't translated into wins for the Mavericks, and it doesn't seem like they'll have the ability to revert to them anytime soon, considering Lively II could be out for a prolonged period of time once again.

At 9-16, the Mavericks will likely treat their trade deadline situation fluidly over the coming weeks, as the ascension of this team has prompted discussion over whether trading Davis would still be the best course of action or not. Regardless, it's going to be hard for Dallas to create a robust trade market for either Gafford or Lively II, as well, given how things currently stand, as Dallas desperately needs Davis' rim presence with both of their other highest-paid bigs being out of the lineup constantly.

Playing Davis at the five, along with the ascension of Ryan Nembhard, has injected new life into this Mavericks' offense. Also, given Dallas' positional size with the likes of Flagg and Washington on the wing, it's been clear that Dallas' defense and rebounding haven't dipped whatsoever with Davis as the lone big on the floor. It's still been a relatively small sample size since Davis has been back, of course, but it seems like Davis at center is unequivocally Dallas' best bet on both sides of the floor.