Mavs projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season

Dallas Mavericks starting center: Dwight Powell

The primary rotational question for Dallas seems to be Dwight Powell or Richaun Holmes at center. Powell has been Dallas’ primary five for two years now. Holmes spent last season buried in the rotation with Sacramento, but he was productive as the Kings’ starter before the Domantas Sabonis trade. There’s a strong case both ways.

Or, more accurately, neither is particularly enthralling as an option. The frontcourt was Dallas’ primary area of weakness last season — chiefly, its inability to deter shots at the rim. Powell was front and center of the problem area, averaging less than half a block in 19.2 minutes per game. He’s a strong and physical defender at 6-foot-10, but Powell doesn’t keep guards out of the paint. With the perimeter defense in shambles around Powell, it was a recipe for disaster.

More minutes for players like Grant Williams, Josh Green, and Dante Exum should help Dallas rectify the problem to some degree, but the primary unit will still be built around two defensive liabilities in Doncic and Irving. Meanwhile, minutes for Hardaway, Curry, and the like are still a guarantee. Dallas is staring down the barrel at another season of defensive woe.

That’s why there are so many rumors tying Dallas to Atlanta’s Clint Capela. The biggest roadblock between the Mavs and contention feels like this position, and an experienced rim protector of Capela’s ilk could go a long way.

Primary backup center: Richaun Holmes

Holmes is not the solution to the Mavs’ rim protection issue. He has more bounce than Powell and he can occasionally soar for a highlight swat, but Holmes is a detrimentally mixed bag on the defensive end. He gets turned around and misdirected in screening actions far too often and he’s liable to get pummeled in the post by stronger centers. A tad undersized, Holmes’ impact has always been primarily offensive.

And, to his credit, Holmes is a very talented offensive player. He loves to run the floor and play above the rim. If anything, Dallas should lean into the inherent defensive flaws of the roster and embrace Holmes’ potential impact as lob target for Doncic. He’s the better offensive center without a doubt and Powell, despite being the nominal starter, still averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game last season. There’s a good chance Powell starts and Holmes finishes most games, barring a trade.

Other players who could receive minutes at center: Dereck Lively II, Maxi Kleber, JaVale McGee, Grant Williams

The Mavs used the No. 12 pick in June’s NBA Draft on Dereck Lively II and would be wise to embrace it. He is, in theory, the exact rim protection and lob threat combination Dallas is missing right now. He’s 19 years old — and therefore likely to spend the year in Jason Kidd’s doghouse — but Lively was a strikingly intelligent defender at Duke and he profiles as the Mavs’ long-term solution at center. Whether or not he can be the short-term solution is unknown, but Kidd should at least try it. Lively could end up surpassing both Powell and Holmes before season’s end.