So Far, the Mavericks' Two-Big Experiment Is Raising More Questions Than Answers

Lack of a point guard is an issue but not the only one

Photo by Michael Owens / Getty Images

At this point, there’s no need to rehash how tough this season has been for the Mavericks.

The Luka Dončić trade shocked and reshaped the team overnight, and a wave of injuries hasn’t made things any easier. But with Anthony Davis back in the lineup, and both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II recently returning, there was at least some hope. A chance to see what this new Mavericks era might look like with AD at the four and a true two-big lineup.

After a couple of early wins against the Nets and Hawks, the recent game against the Clippers — one of the best defensive teams in the league — felt like a real test. Instead, the Mavericks were blown out 135–104. Without Kyrie Irving, and to a lesser extent Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams, the lack of point guard play and on-ball creation is the obvious problem staring right out the window.

But this game, and some of the trends we've seen recently, pointed to something deeper — potential strategic and stylistic issues the Mavericks will either need to work around or fix this summer.

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Today’s highlights:

1. The offense with Anthony Davis as the high-post operating hub

2. Lively, P.J., and Naji fits

3. Point of attack defensive question marks remain

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1-The offense with Anthony Davis as the high-post operating hub

Let me start with the obvious caveats. First, it’s still early. This is an experiment I’m clearly intrigued by, and growing pains are to be expected — especially with so little time to build chemistry, and all three Mavericks bigs having missed extended time. It’s also clear none of them are back to full game shape yet. And again, it’s hard to fairly evaluate the offense when Spencer Dinwiddie is your primary and often only point guard.

But even with all that in mind, the early feel of the offense, with AD isolating or posting at the elbow and another big lurking in the dunker spot, has a bit of a ’90s or early 2000s feel to it.

Davis has already shown enough flashes — including a 34-point, 15-rebound, 5-block performance capped by a game-winning bucket against the Hawks — to suggest he’ll be a nightmare matchup for most teams when playing at power forward. But the Clippers game showed that teams might be content with AD scoring, especially on mid-range jumpers and the occasional three, if it means less space, fewer driving opportunities for the rest of the Mavericks’ offense, and fewer chances for AD at the rim. In the past, I’ve written a lot about AD’s mid-range-heavy shot diet and how it transforms the shot profile of the teams he plays on, and seven games into his Mavericks tenure, there are no signs that will change.

Anthony Davis shot diet (source: Cleaning the Glass)

2- Lively, P.J., and Naji fits