I think that to have a winning season, the Mavs cannot afford to use Kyrie + Klay + Luka lineups for many minutes.
The way I would like for Kidd to look at lineups, is to always use:
2x Guards (one of whom is defensive) + 2x Forwards (one of whom is defensive) + 1x Center.
Listed in order of preference...
- Offensive Guards = Kyrie, Klay*, Hardy, Dinwiddie
- Defensive Guards = Grimes, Exum
- Offensive Forwards = Luka, Klay
- Defensive Forwards = PJW**, Naji, Edwards, O-Max
- Centers = Gafford, Lively, Kleber
The joker or clown in the pack = Dwight Powell
*Klay to be used as Kyrie (or other offensive guard) + Klay... or Luka + Klay... but as little as possible as Kyrie (or other offensive guard) + Luka + Klay.
**PJW can be used as an offensive forward when both Luka and Klay are not on the floor.
The sooner Kidd settles into an established rotation based on the above, the better it will be to establish combinations and roles, and develop chemistry.
One of Hardy or Dinwiddie may need to be traded for an Offensive Forward. I would have liked Simone Fontecchio for that role... he signed with the Pistons for cheap. Or for the Mavs to buy an early 2nd round pick and take a flyer on developing Nikola Djurisic for that role... but he's now with the Hawks and also injured, so never mind. Even someone like the "slimmed down" Kenneth Lofton Jr could have been adequate for that role.
The way I would like for Kidd to look at lineups, is to always use:
2x Guards (one of whom is defensive) + 2x Forwards (one of whom is defensive) + 1x Center.
Listed in order of preference...
- Offensive Guards = Kyrie, Klay*, Hardy, Dinwiddie
- Defensive Guards = Grimes, Exum
- Offensive Forwards = Luka, Klay
- Defensive Forwards = PJW**, Naji, Edwards, O-Max
- Centers = Gafford, Lively, Kleber
The joker or clown in the pack = Dwight Powell
*Klay to be used as Kyrie (or other offensive guard) + Klay... or Luka + Klay... but as little as possible as Kyrie (or other offensive guard) + Luka + Klay.
**PJW can be used as an offensive forward when both Luka and Klay are not on the floor.
The sooner Kidd settles into an established rotation based on the above, the better it will be to establish combinations and roles, and develop chemistry.
One of Hardy or Dinwiddie may need to be traded for an Offensive Forward. I would have liked Simone Fontecchio for that role... he signed with the Pistons for cheap. Or for the Mavs to buy an early 2nd round pick and take a flyer on developing Nikola Djurisic for that role... but he's now with the Hawks and also injured, so never mind. Even someone like the "slimmed down" Kenneth Lofton Jr could have been adequate for that role.