3 players who could break into Mavs starting lineup

Dallas Mavericks player who could break into starting lineup: Josh Green

This one feels a little bit too obvious. Even if Tim Hardaway Jr. begins the season as a starter, he probably won’t finish the season as a starter. Green is already the better player, it’s simply a matter of when Jason Kidd catches up with the times. Green received plenty of starting reps in the final months of the season and the results were undeniable.

Green doesn’t stuff the stat sheet — he averaged 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 25.6 minutes last season — but he does his job exceedingly well. That’s what Dallas needs. Players who do their jobs. Doncic and Irving offer more than enough shot creation to fuel an elite offense. In Green, the Mavs have a play finisher and quality wing defender who doesn’t burden the offense with superfluous contributions.

The 22-year-old entered the NBA as a non-shooter. Last season — his third in the league — Green shot 40.2 percent on 2.8 three-point attempts per game. The volume isn’t where it needs to be, but Green has worked his jumper into a reliable weapon. His effectiveness as a spot-up shooter will lead to easy spoon-fed points on the perimeter, plus it opens up the backdoor for cuts to the rim. Green is a nuclear athlete with tremendous strength. He’s an elite interior finisher for his size (6-foot-5) and a frequent target of lob passes from Doncic. His instincts as a cutter, paired with a consistently improving jumper, make him a strong complement to the Mavs’ core.

Green will join a lineup that is also bringing in Grant Williams, who can replace some of Hardaway’s 3-point volume when the inevitable switch to Green is made. Hardaway is better suited to the sixth-man role anyway, where his defensive shortcomings are mitigated and he can provide a shot-making lift whenever one of Dallas’ star guards takes a break.

What should cement Green in the starting five, however, is his defense. He has great core strength and a rangy 6-foot-10 wingspan, which allows him to cover a lot of ground on the perimeter. Green can comfortably switch one through four and he is Dallas’ best bet against the elite playmakers of the world. Dallas couldn’t get enough stops to win games last season. Green is a stopper, maybe the only true stopper on the roster who can survive on offense (the jury is still out on the new-and-improved Dante Exum). He’s the best wing option next to Doncic and Irving.