Matchup Hell

Two posts ago, I brought up a lineup that in my opinion, could change the way teams plan for the Mavs.

You've heard of Small Ball, what about Big Ball? Given the Mavs shortcomings on the boards as of late, this could help them shake things up.

Here's the lineup:

PG - Jason Terry
SG - Josh Howard
SF - Dirk Nowitzki
PF - Brandon Bass
C - Dampier/Diop

While that might seem incredibly short-sighted, given the propensity for young teams to go small, imagine the possibilites.

You've got four dead-eye jump shooters and a traditional center. That's can translate into a halfcourt offense that could be unstoppable, especially when you add Jo-Ho and Bass's ability to muscle on the inside.

You've also got two seven footers, or close to it. If that can't get you a boards advantage, even for the few minutes that you've got it out there, than nothing will.

Now, think about the matchups. Dirk against a 3? Think about that. A seven footer than can kill you from the outside, mid-range, or penetrate against a smaller, but quicker guard. He could force his way to the line 15-20 times a game like that.

Now think of Bass against a PF. He seems to match up well with other quick PFs such as Gasol or Scola. He's much tougher than Gasol, and a Bass/Scola matchup could be real nasty.

Dare I say, nasty as they want to be?

Glorious hip-hop references aside, this is a lineup that can get things done.

I know what you are thinking, this lineup would get shredded by any run-and-gun team. Right?

Wrong. Where does the run-and-gun start? From a defensive rebound or steal. Steals happen, and unless J.J. Barea is in the game, it's usually a product of good defense, which is going to happen, especially if you want to go deep into the playoffs.

But the defensive rebounds into fast breaks? How are you going to pull down boards with two seven footers? With two guys that big, you can keep them on the inside for shots, and they're then in prime position to shine the glass.

Plus, Josh Howard and Bass are great rebounders. Terry has been known to get some rebounds as well, especially if he's fighting for the long ones near the elbow.

The last two lineups I've posted, small ball and big ball, all focus on one thing: playing Dirk out of position. But if you know anything about Dirk's game, you know he can play both the 3 and the 5, so these lineups therefore make sense.

Think about it. And please, somebody send this blog to Rick Carlisle.