Small Ball lineup

In the earlier post, I recommended a small-ball lineup that could create matchup hell for a lot of teams. In case you forgot:

PG- Kidd
SG- Terry
SF- Howard
PF- Bass
C- Dirk

For some reason, Carlisle hasn't thrown out Bass and Dirk on the floor very much. I think it would be a great combo.

Bass's athleticism and mid-range jumper can allow him to move away from the rack, while the combination of Dirk and Jo-Ho penetrating/shooting jumpers can help the Mavs get points, which they will need, especially if there D continues to have an on/off switch.

Bass and Howard are the Mavs' toughest guys on the boards. Plus, Kidd has been able to get his share of boards, something which is great from a point guard who is used to moving around the court.

With Dirk, Bass and Jo-Ho in your frontcourt ,you've got three tough rebounders, one over seven feet as well as three lights-out jump shooters.

You also have two and a half guys who can shoot the three-ball (the half is the shaky combo of Howard and Kidd.)

What this lineup gives you is a chance to be quick, lights out, with a little more toughness on the boards than your traditional small-ball team.

Why is small ball important?

Did you see the 2007 Mavs-Warriors series? Avery decided to go small against them when he hadn't gone small all year. The result? Me, ready eat a bullet.

What happens if they start rolling out this lineups against some younger teams? What happens if you can find Gerald Green a spot in a small-ball lineup, maybe instead of Terry?

All of a sudden, you've got an incredibly athletic core of Green, Howard and Bass, surrounded by two hall-of-famers in Dirk and J-Kidd.

Sounds pretty good huh?

The downside? Defense. While Jo-Ho is still not up to being a Kobe-stopper, he is quick, and combine him with Kidd, they could probably do a decent job of stopping a dynamic SG such as Kobe, T-Mac or Brandon Roy.

Besides, smallball isn't necessarily your crunch time lineup, just a way to mix things up when you feel like running.