So many options!
With games starting this week, it’s time to get excited about the official NBA basketball the Dallas Mavericks are about to play. It’s also time to play coach and talk about the things we’d like to see on the floor this season. Today, we’re going to talk about the lineups we most want to see.
Isaac: Luka Dončić, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, and Dereck Lively.
No one doubts Kyrie’s offensive abilities, and his offensive ceiling will be a huge part of what will propel this team to its heights this year, however, this lineup fascinates me and I’m looking forward to seeing it in action this year either in games Kyrie misses or during stretches of the late first and third quarters when Irving sits.
You’ve got Dončić, arguably the best player in the game today, Thompson, one of the greatest shooters the game’s ever seen, Marshall and Washington playing elite defense, and last but not least Lively, who should take a leap this year playing more minutes in higher leverage spots.
If this lineup can make it work and build chemistry, the Mavericks be very hard to beat.
Xavier: Doncic, Thompson, Marshall, Maxi Kleber, and Quentin Grimes. Luka with 4 wings that, in theory, will space the floor should lead to a ton of wide open shots. There’s not enough rim defense but for stretches of the game that lineup should be able to outscore the opposition.
Brent: It’s crunch time and Luka Doncic is out for tonight’s game. Kidd feels the need to go small. Washington, Marshall, Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Spencer Dinwiddie. Switchable on defense and enough spacing to bring the best version of Dinwiddie slashing to the cup.
Sudarshan: Luka, Kyrie, Klay, PJ, and Dereck Lively. It’s a boring answer since that’s probably the starting lineup, but I want to see it gel and demoralize opponents from the start.
Imagine going into the 2Q in most games and being down by double digits, with the All-Defense bench mob ready to check in and the crowd already at a fever pitch because the Mavs 1st unit is cooking.
I’d pack up and exit stage left if I were in the opponents’ shoes in that scenario. Plus, if we can get Stretch-5 D-Live in this? It’s over.
Clint: I would really like to see a lineup of Mavs Man, the re-animated corpse of the bear RFK dumped in Central Park, Billy Gibbons, Margaret Qualley and current United States postmaster general Louis DeJoy. I just think that would be interesting. (Editors note: dang it Clint)
Michael: How to choose just one with the apparent depth we have on this team? I WON’T pick the starting lineup Sudarshan mentioned that I’m super excited to see. I’ll go with Dinwiddie, Kyrie, Marshall, Washington, and Lively. I’m excited for this because I want to see Dinwiddie return to Dallas Dinwiddie form, running point while Luka gets some rest and Kyrie goes insane as the primary option on the floor.
Obviously any lineup will take a hit while Luka is resting, but Dinwiddie feels like he will make any drop-off much less. He’s a legit ball handler, can run the offense, can drive and can hit big shots. I’m also excited to see Marshall and PJ together. Two long defenders switching on screens and causing chaos in the best possible ways should be something to behold. I’m also eager to see them on the offensive side. Marshall seems to be a much better ballhandler and driver than anyone talks about. I have a feeling we’re going to drive a bit more this year, and I expect Marshall, Washington and Dinwiddie to be big contributors to that.
Finally, I’m anticipating Lively will get the best alley-oops of his young career while being part of an awesome defensive frontcourt in that lineup. Marshall seems to be a very good passer for his position and role, and in the small Fan Jam and Pre-Season sample, he and Lively looked like they had a real connection. If they can develop that connection on both sides of the ball, they’re going to have a lot of fun and so are we.
Tyler: Irving, Grimes, Thompson, Marshall, and Lively.
Let’s get weird with a non-Luka lineup! This could very easily be a lineup that sees burn early in the second quarters, when Luka is out in his normal rotation. Grimes & Naji are more than serviceable to take the defensive load here on the perimeter, with Lively working the back line. That leaves Kyrie & Klay to fill in the gaps, presumably on the opponent’s 3rd & 4th offensive option. Offensively, like almost every unit, this group should cook. With the spacing with Kyrie + the new guys and Lively as the roll guy, I expect to see a healthy dose of this unit.
Kirk: I need to see a line up where Dallas is ahead and the Mavericks need to bleed the clock. The Mavericks have run down the clock in weird ways over the years, but having Luka play his style of offense while Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, Maxi Kleber, and Dereck Lively blot out the sun on defense sounds really fun to me. They might not be able to score a ton, but the other team won’t be able to score at all.