Through the Dallas Mavericks’ first 11 games of the season, head coach Rick Carlisle has rolled out eight different starting lineups. Other than Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, any given night can look completely different from the previous game.
By now, for Mavs fans trying to predict who will start each night is a little similar to playing the game, Guess Who. Has this player ever starred in a movie with Keanu Reeves? No? Ok Boban Marjanovic, have a seat. Does this player also have a brother in the Western Conference? No? Ok Seth Curry, you can have a seat too. Has this player ever played for the team the Mavs are playing against tonight? Yes! Well Courtney Lee, come on down, you are the next starter for the Mavs tonight.
Starting Rotations
Last season the Mavericks featured 25 different starting lineups. Only one of those experiments lasted over 20 games and 21 lineups were rolled out fewer than five times. So the start of the 2019-20 season is no different for the organization, even if it is frustrating trying to find the meaning behind it all.
What we do know is that this team is lead by last seasons rookie of the year, Luka Doncic, and newcomer Kristaps Porzingis, who had spent the previous 20 months rehabbing from an ACL injury sustained as a New York Knick in the 2017-18 season. Beyond that, coach Carlisle appears to be employing a next man up strategy depending on who the opposing team is, so each player is going to have to be ready when his number is called.
Roles and Responsibilities
The biggest challenge the players, not named Doncic or Porzingis, will face this season is figuring out what their role is on this team. Delon Wright was brought in presumably to be in the starting backcourt, however he’s only started two games. Maxi Kleber signed a four-year contract this offseason and while filling in for Dwight Powell has arguably been the Mavs second best player this season, and he’s only started in four games. NBA sharpshooter, Seth Curry, also signed a four-year contract in the offseason, and has only started in seven games, even though the Mavs are desperate for a quality shooter.
12 of the 14 Maverick players who have logged minutes this season are averaging 11 minutes per game, or higher. Only Courtney Lee and Ryan Broekoff, appear to not be in a consistent rotation. Lee has actually even started three games too, go figure. This team is deep, but as of now, it’s been a quantity, not quality approach to the minutes and rotation.
Coach Carlisle will forever tinker with this lineup. However, there is a good chance he figures out soon where he wants to go. If the Dallas Mavericks hope to make the playoffs this season, they’ll need to find their identity sooner, rather than later.
