Mavericks’ New Era with Anthony Davis at Power Forward
Can Dallas replicate the 41-10 Cavs and the 2020 Lakers?
It’s been a whirlwind of a week, with one of the most stunning trades in NBA history sending Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis to new teams and shaking up the league.
Mavericks and Lakers fans have had a lot to process, but reality is about to set in. While Lakers fans may have to wait a few more days to see Dončić in purple and gold, Mavericks fans won’t have to wait long. Davis is expected to make his debut in Dallas blue on Saturday at home against the Houston Rockets.
I’ve followed Dončić’s entire career, so the trade was a personal shock. The irony is that Anthony Davis, along with Jrue Holiday, has always been one of my favorite players to watch. Even more ironic is that I’ve often thought Davis would be a perfect fit in Dallas, but as an ideal sidekick to Dončić, not his replacement.
Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd have a different vision. A vision without Dončić. A vison to reshape the Mavericks into a juggernaut built on defense and size. A vision with Davis at power forward alongside the team’s two bigs, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, once he returns from his right ankle stress fracture. “We feel that defense wins championships,” is what Harrison stated right after the trade.
This transformation, along with the immense pressure Harrison and Kidd have placed on themselves by making such an unexpected move, will be one of the most fascinating storylines of the rest of the NBA season.
Harrison, Kidd, and Davis aligned on the plan
With the trade deadline behind them and the Mavericks holding on to all four of their bigs, combined with Kidd’s post-deadline comments about his vision of playing big, it seems logical to believe that he and Harrison were fully aligned on moving Dončić for Davis. Despite Harrison stating that Kidd wasn’t aware of his negotiations with Rob Pelinka until the deal was finalized, the roster decisions and philosophical direction suggest a shared understanding between the two.
Before the last game in Boston, Kidd elaborated on his plan to play Davis at power forward alongside either Gafford or Lively once the latter returns, while shifting P.J. Washington to small forward. This alignment would make the Mavericks one of the biggest teams in the NBA. Both Kidd and Harrison, when elaborating on the shared vision, referenced the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently 41-10 and one of the league’s best stories, along with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers championship team as proven blueprints they are now trying to replicate.
It’s a blueprint with Davis as the centerpiece, one he was pushing Pelinka to reestablish before the deadline:
‘I think we need another big. I think I've always been at my best when I've been the four, having a big out there. We know it worked when we won the championship with JaVale and Dwight at the five and me at the four. I think our 19-20 team was a perfect construction of a team.’ - Anthony Davis
Mavericks’ attempts to replicate the Lakers blueprint
Looking back, it seems that the 2019-20 Lakers template—one that Kidd experienced firsthand as an assistant to Frank Vogel—has always been his preferred approach. He tried to implement a similar setup in 2021-22 by starting Dwight Powell and Kristaps Porzingis, until the latter was traded. The Mavericks then shifted course, making a run to the Western Conference Finals by going smaller, using Maxi Kleber to stretch the floor and create more space for Dončić and Jalen Brunson.
However, after falling short against the Golden State Warriors, Harrison emphasized the need for more size and brought in JaVale McGee and Christian Wood in the offseason. That experiment failed miserably, but he remained committed to his vision, drafting Lively, trading for Gafford, and ultimately making the boldest move of all—swapping Dončić for Davis.
The sheer amount of assets Harrison has invested in big men is extraordinary in today’s NBA, costing the Mavericks their franchise superstar and three first-round picks—one for Wood, one for Gafford, and the 10th pick in 2023 used to acquire Lively. It’s a testament to how strongly Harrison and Kidd believe in this vision.
Lakers' struggles to recreate the championship formula
The 2019-20 Lakers were built on size and a top-five defense, but attributing their success primarily to Davis playing power forward full-time would be an oversimplification. First, Davis had an outlier shooting performance in the bubble playoffs, hitting 38 percent from three—something he hasn’t come close to replicating since (more on that soon). Second, the Lakers leaned heavily on smaller lineups, with Davis at center in key moments against Houston, Denver, and Miami in the Finals.
The Lakers tried to stick with their two-big blueprint for two more seasons but have shifted away from it over the last three years.
The only time they advanced past the first round was in 2022-23, when they reached the Western Conference Finals with Davis playing exclusively at center. However, their inability to win another title may have only reinforced Davis' belief in his ideal roster construction
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