The Rotation (2020-2021)

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

Mavs really wanted Jae Crowder.  That leads me to believe they want to start a wing at the 4 instead of two bigs.  Have that Maxi/Powell combo terrorizing opposing benches.

[dirkfansince1998]

Full team training hasn´t even started and the Warriors already have the first COVID outbreak. This will be the year of the depth chart. I don´t think a single team will make it through the season without players being sidelined because they tested positive.
I expect all guys on the roster to play big minutes at some point in the season. Even the two-way players. I think RC will follow last seasons approach and instead of completly changing the rotation whenever a guy is out he will simply give most of the minutes to a guy that isn´t part of the usual rotation. Sometimes chemistry can be more important than individual talent. Good example would be Lee who rarely played at all when everyone was healthy but started whenever THJ and/or Curry missed games last season.

[IamDougieFresh]

Roses are red
Voilets are blue
DFS and Maxi are great
Dwight Powell is poo

[fifteenth]

Jordans are red
Mavericks are blue
When Powell starts
Dougie is blue too

[StepBackJay]

For Powell truthers out there if you have Powell/KP in your frontcourt, Luka and J Rich locked into the two other positions then that means one of THJ, DFS gets pushed to the bench. THJ did not do well on the bench last year and started most of the season where he had a great season. I am 99% sure he is not going to the bench. 

If DFS goes to the bench then you really only have 1 good perimeter defender in your starting lineup. Mavs really need 2 good perimeter defenders out there and that likely means DFS is in your lineup until further notice, altho that could flex some nights to a Powell or Johnson.

If Mavs play Clippers you want Rich & DFS on Kawhi and George for example.

Therefore I think you could get to a lineup of Luka, Rich, THJ, DFS, KP on a lot of nights as your default lineup where DFS is the spot that guys flexed sometimes. Rick likes to go small and he has shown he will play DFS at that four spot.

Without KP you might get WCS at the 5 which I would also be a fan of. Keep that Maxi/Powell combo on the bench.

[Hypermav]

[b]The fluid starting lineups[/b]
I strongly believe that the most-used starting five will be Doncic, Porzingis, Richardson, Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. It’s a perfect mix of two unprecedented players combined with three versatile two-way wings, an incredibly modern starting five that projects matchup problems to virtually every opponent in the league. But Porzingis won’t be healthy right away, and there are other reasons why the team might alternate its starting lineups here and there. “We’re going to have to have a level of fluidity because of matchups,” Carlisle said Tuesday. The most pertinent example would be in games with “extreme matchup situations.”
Like, for example, playing the New Orleans Pelicans. “Last year, we were vigilant about trying to play Maxi off the bench, but when we play New Orleans in early March, a few games before the hiatus hit, we had to start him against (Zion) Williamson,” Carlisle said. “He was the best guy we had to guard him on that particular night.” I’m curious what Carlisle means by being “vigilant” about Kleber’s role off the bench, and I’ll ask about it this week. But it’s interesting how he mentions Kleber’s necessity against players like Williamson, something you could extend to players like Giannis Antetokounmpo or other big fours who play off the perimeter. I’d expect the starting five to vary just as Carlisle predicts throughout the year.


https://theathletic.com/2233098/2020/12/...-approach/

[fifteenth]

For Powell truthers out there ...

You do realize, I think, that the DFS lineup is the one we (predominant site discussion) had been running with and making arguments for. So many of us agree with what you're saying. The Powell lineup discussion started because Dan made a good case for the idea that the Mavs will go back to the Powell lineup and we've been exploring that. 

Then we've had Nick and Isaac think that the Mavs will eventually land on the Powell lineup. Now Kato has gone with the DFS lineup. 

I should make a spreadsheet of who leans which way, reporters and posters. We'll make sure to put StepBackJay in the DFS column. :-) 

I'm not completely sure which column I'll put myself in.

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I'm going to cop-out and put myself in the "fluid" column

[Jason Terry]

We are all right. Rick says it will be fluid

Rick speaks clearly that this season will be about defense. Our offense will be good no matter who is out there. Luka is the engine. All the other parts are interchangeable

I look more for matchup based minutes. J Rich will guard Dame and Steph and Murray and should sub in and out at the same time those players sub in and out.

[fifteenth]

Now...that crunch time rotation and offense...that's another matter

JJB
Terry
Burke
Brunson
Luka

Luka gives us a tripple threat center on offense and a center who can guard the perimeter and switch on defense.

[MrGoat]

I think the guy who will have a bigger role than expected is Johnson. He's not just an enforcer, he's a passable shooter and is an above average playmaker for his position. That makes him playable in a lot of lineups. I could easily see Rick leaning on him more heavily as the season goes on

[Jason Terry]

I think the guy who will have a bigger role than expected is Johnson. He's not just an enforcer, he's a passable shooter and is an above average playmaker for his position. That makes him playable in a lot of lineups. I could easily see Rick leaning on him more heavily as the season goes on

I think he surprises people and has a career year. We deliberately targeted him for a reason. Same with Green who was targeted. Even Iwundu who we went out of our way to lock up for two years as the 15th man. It’s a trend of bringing in these 6’7” types that every team around the league is looking to obtain

[Scott41theMavs]

I hate to leave Dougie in the lurch, but I have to be a temporary Powell fan, since it seems that he's going to be important to our rotations especially until KP returns, and the Mavs will have to play at least .500 ball until then not to fall into too big of a hole.

Luka (32) - Brunson (11) - Terry (5)
JRich (25) - Burke (12) - Brunson (3) - Terry (3) - Green (5)
THJ (28) - DFS (10) - Johnson (2) - Iwundu (8)
Maxi (15) - DFS (15) - Johnson (18)
Powell (18) - Maxi (10) - WCS (15) - Bobi (5)

Luka 32
THJ 28
JRich 25
DFS 25
Maxi 25
Johnson 20
Powell 18
WCS 15
Brunson 14
Burke 12
Iwundu 8
Terry 8
Green 5
Bobi 5

I actually think that the two rooks and Bobi aren't going to play even that much. I'm hoping that JRich, Johnson, and Iwundu (with DFS and the rookies) gradually push THJ to fewer and fewer minutes - that should be the case if Luka has the same effect on those three that he did on THJ, because they're all far better defenders - but he should still be a starter (if a low-minute starter) if still here at the end of the year. That will also keep his contract low if we choose to keep him.

[StepBackJay]

For Powell truthers out there ...

You do realize, I think, that the DFS lineup is the one we (predominant site discussion) had been running with and making arguments for. So many of us agree with what you're saying. The Powell lineup discussion started because Dan made a good case for the idea that the Mavs will go back to the Powell lineup and we've been exploring that. 

Then we've had Nick and Isaac think that the Mavs will eventually land on the Powell lineup. Now Kato has gone with the DFS lineup. 

I should make a spreadsheet of who leans which way, reporters and posters. We'll make sure to put StepBackJay in the DFS column. :-) 

I'm not completely sure which column I'll put myself in.

---

I'm going to cop-out and put myself in the "fluid" column

I am glad Cato agrees with me! I know Rick and others will say fluid but remember that he said that last year and it wasn't fluid once he settled on a lineup he liked. When everyone was healthy Rick went with Luka, THJ, DFS, Powell, KP most nights. I think this year could be crazy bc of Covid and everything so its possible due to circumstances that lineups get completely crazy.

That being said if at some point everyone is healthy I am expecting DFS to be in the PF spot most nights.

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I think the guy who will have a bigger role than expected is Johnson. He's not just an enforcer, he's a passable shooter and is an above average playmaker for his position. That makes him playable in a lot of lineups. I could easily see Rick leaning on him more heavily as the season goes on

I am hoping that Johnson will be the guy Rick flexes too some nights when it makes sense over DFS. I could see a scenario where Brunson, Burke, Maxi, Powell eat up most of the bench minutes and Johnson doesn't get a lot of minutes night to night when everyone is healthy. Note that Maxi gets banged up, KP gets rest, Powell might sit back to back and so on. This will create opportunities for Johnson to get meaningful minutes.

But the other scenario I mentioned off the top is that when you play the Lakers maybe you want to move DFS to the bench and start Johnson in his place. That gives you a beefier starting lineup and a great 2nd unit.

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Cato also thinks that Powell will probably start at center with KP out which makes some sense. I'd rather have WCS if DFS is starting at PF but I could see Rick going with maybe Dwight + Maxi? Not sure. DFS + Powell seems like a defensive frontcourt that will get killed on the inside.

[fifteenth]

I keep seeing, reading, hearing more media types placing KP and DP together in the starting lineup when KP comes back. And I hear how RC is talking about DP. This won't be resolved til KP comes back, bit it sure seems like things are headed that way.

[StepBackJay]

I keep seeing, reading, hearing more media types placing KP and DP together in the starting lineup when KP comes back. And I hear how RC is talking about DP. This won't be resolved til KP comes back, bit it sure seems like things are headed that way.

Feels like it and I don't understand the logic. I hope KP looks better on offense with Powell out there bc he never really looked in sync.

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This means though that DFS is pushed to the bench then?

[fifteenth]

This means though that DFS is pushed to the bench then?

I think so

[DanSchwartzgan]

I keep seeing, reading, hearing more media types placing KP and DP together in the starting lineup when KP comes back. And I hear how RC is talking about DP. This won't be resolved til KP comes back, bit it sure seems like things are headed that way.

Feels like it and I don't understand the logic. I hope KP looks better on offense with Powell out there bc he never really looked in sync.

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This means though that DFS is pushed to the bench then?

The logic isn't that hard to understand.  You just have to get rid of the false premise that Powell somehow hindered KP or held him back.  KP may have held KP back by not being ready.  Carlisle may have held KP back by easing him into his eventual role.  But, Powell didn't.  He's an incredibly efficient piece of an offense.  But, he doesn't keep KP from being KP.  If anything, the combination of Powell's vertical spacing and KP's horizontal spacing makes for a scary good offense.  

What hurts Powell from an "eye-test" standpoint is he's probably mis-cast guarding the other team's most versatile and highest usage big.  Somebody has to guard Anthony Davis.  It's not like DFS is going to shut him down either.  With that said, the team was 3.2 points per 48 better DEFENSIVELY when Powell was on the floor last season.

[StepBackJay]

Well we will see if DP is still the starter when KP is back. It sure seems likely that he will be. I do think he hindered KP's game last year. Let's also see if it lasts all season long.

[ClutchDirk]

1. Projected Starting Lineup: Luka Doncic, Josh Richardson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell 

1.   The Dallas Mavericks made a leap this past season, earning a playoff spot and challenging the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. In his second season, Luka Doncic entered the MVP conversation, and he'll remain there for a long time.

1. The Mavs will be down a key player at the start of the season, as Kristaps Porzingis is still recovering from the torn meniscus he suffered in the bubble. However, they will be getting Dwight Powell back after he tore his Achilles tendon in January. Powell was a particularly great target for Doncic, shooting 67.4 percent off his passes.

1.  Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a career-high 39.8 percent from three last season and should stay in the starting lineup.

1.  Head coach Rick Carlisle expects newcomer Josh Richardson to be a starter as well. He will work well next to Doncic as a secondary playmaker and a perimeter defender. 

1. The final spot in the frontcourt could get interesting. Dorian Finney-Smith was a starter for most of last season, but that was mostly as a wing. When the Mavs were healthy, they tended to start with a big lineup with Porzinigs and Powell, so it is possible Carlisle could turn to Maxi Kleber.For now, Finney-Smith gets the start with his improvement as a shooter, but this might prove to be short-lived once Porzingis returns.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2921...starting-5

[StepBackJay]

Projected Starting Lineup: Luka Doncic, Josh Richardson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell

I mean I guess it makes sense, I don't like it though. Our rim protection will be non-existent although you would have to expect pretty good perimeter defense with this lineup. I would love it if they started Maxi with Powell. Even though I am not the biggest Powell fan I could live with Maxi being in there bc Maxi would be the 5 on D, 4 on O and Powell would be the reverse. Maxi is such a versatile defender. So we will see if Rick experiment's with DFS's spot in the lineup. This lineup will definitely score points but defense could be a challenge.