3 players who could break into Mavs starting lineup
The Dallas Mavericks are looking to rebound from last season’s dreadful finish. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as headliners, it’s not hard to imagine the Mavs winning a bunch of games. The question is, how will the rotation be built around them?
The Dallas Mavericks finished last season 38-44, which placed them 11th in the West after a very deliberate tank job to close out the schedule. It worked — Dallas kept its top-10 protected first-round pick to retool for next season — but any team with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving should be embarrassed by such an outcome.
One has to imagine a full training camp and a wave of roster additions will make the Mavericks more competitive in the new season. Irving is the best teammate Doncic has ever played with and the Mavs made a concerted effort to improve the god-awful defense around them.
That said, there are lingering concerns about Jason Kidd in the driver’s seat. Plus, many of the same roster problems persist. Dallas has so far failed to anchor its frontcourt with a proven rim protector. Meanwhile, it’s difficult to chart a path to consistent perimeter defense with Doncic and Irving sharing the floor — especially if Tim Hardaway Jr. remains in the starting five as expected.
Dallas’ best-case outcome for next season probably starts with changes to the starting lineup. Newcomer Grant Williams is penciled into the first five, but Dwight Powell and Tim Hardaway feel especially vulnerable to younger, better options lurking in the second unit. Kidd hasn’t always been the most flexible and innovative head coach, but Dallas fans should prepare for significant changes as the season progresses.
Dallas Mavericks player who could break into starting lineup: Richaun Holmes
For 2.5 years, Richaun Holmes was more or less the everyday starting center in Sacramento. The Kings relied on his vertical threat offensively and he was the perfect full-court sprint partner for De’Aaron Fox. Then the Domantas Sabonis trade happened and with it, Holmes’ role all but ceased to exist.
Last season, Holmes averaged 8.3 minutes per game in 42 appearances. He was not part of Mike Brown’s game plan. The 29-year-old was shipped to Dallas over the summer. He has one year of guaranteed money left on his contract with a $12.8 million player option for next season. Given the current market for mid-tier centers, odds are he’s in Dallas for the next two seasons.
The Mavs are expected to start Dwight Powell at center due to his familiarity with Luka Doncic, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. That’s all good and well, but Powell averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game last season and he doesn’t protect the rim in the way Dallas needs. Holmes isn’t a great defender, but he competes hard and is capable of altering shots at the rim with his athleticism. In his last fully healthy season as Kings starter (2020-21), he averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks on 66.9 TS% in 29.2 minutes.
On the offensive end, Holmes should thrive in Dallas. He’s a gifted rim finisher who can evade shot blockers with his elite intersection of bounce and flexibility. He’s comfortable playing above the rim, but also capable of maneuvering tight spaces to finish below the rim when necessary. It shouldn’t take long for him to establish enough chemistry with Doncic to outstrip whatever value the Mavs derive from Powell’s seniority.