Getty Josh Green of the Dallas Mavericks.
Things haven’t gone quite according to plan for the Dallas Mavericks this year. They haven’t been a total failure, but after making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, starting off the year with a 13-11 probably isn’t what they had in mind.
There’s still plenty of time for Dallas to turn things around, but according to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, they need to make a change to the starting lineup. He believes that the Mavericks should place Josh Gren into the starting lineup in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie.
“Josh Green’s constituency is growing beyond meme-happy Mavs Reddit threads as the third-year wing continues to expand his game,” Hughes wrote. “In 20.0 minutes per contest, he’s averaging 7.0 points on 58.2 percent shooting from the field with a sparkling 44.4 percent knockdown rate from long distance. Though a low-usage option (not a problem with Luka threatening to lead the league in usage rate for the third straight year), Green has added passable punch off the bounce and has improved dramatically as a decision-maker in space.”
Green has become a staple in Dallas’ rotation. He’s a solid defender and has emerged as a reliable shooter, too. The third-year guard has earned more and more playing time over the years, and it finally seems like Jason Kidd trusts him.
So far this year, Green has appeared in all 24 of the team’s games and is playing 20.0 minutes per contest. The guard is putting up 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 58.2% shooting from the field and 44.4% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Dinwiddie Could Be Perfect Off the Bench
The change to the starting lineup wouldn’t be easy, but Dinwiddie could play an important role off the bench for Dallas. They’ve been experimenting with different backup guards, and having Dinwiddie in that spot would give them a massive boost.
“Dallas can shift Spencer Dinwiddie to the bench, which would allow him to cook as the top option when Dončić sits. Nothing would prevent the Mavs from using both of their best ball-handlers together when necessary, but there’s some logic to splitting their only legitimate playmakers more often. So far, Dinwiddie and Dončić’s shared minutes have yielded a minus-1.1 net rating dragged down by putrid defensive efficiency. Swap in Green, and things look more balanced.”
Dinwiddie primarily came off the bench for Dallas last year when they went on their impressive run, so he would be fairly used to playing that role.
Mavericks Have Two-Year Window
While Doncic is still only 23 years old, the Mavericks need to be working tirelessly to put a championship-caliber team around him. And according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Mavericks may only have a two-year window to impress him enough to stay.
“I think [the Mavericks] have a two-year window,” McMahon said on the Hoop Collective podcast this week. “This season and next season going into that [2024] summer. I think they have a two-year window where, you know, like Milwaukee did with Giannis [Antetokounmpo], I think in that window they really need to convince Luka that he has a chance to contend year in and year out right here in Dallas. If they can’t get it done in that two-year window, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that he’s going to force a trade or ask for a trade. I’m just saying at that point if he’s not happy, he has all the leverage in the world if he would be looking to leave.”