The Dallas Mavericks have been tinkering with their starting lineup constantly that only the one-two punch of Kristaps Porzingis and second-year point man Luka Doncic are the main fixtures. But Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle is also toying with another idea: having the Latvian forward play the center spot more.
Per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, it's something he's seriously considering to take advantage of his floor-spacing and ability to attack off the dribble.
“It’s an option for us,” Carlisle said. “It’s always better if you can play a little bigger than a little smaller from a physical standpoint, especially in a game like (Tuesday’s), where it is so physical.”
“He would be the ultimate stretch-5, with his ability to shoot easily from 30 feet,” Carlisle said. “And he rebounds well and he protects the rim.”
It's a position that Porzingis certainly was ill-equipped in the past to man given his wiry build and relatively poor rebounding. But the 7-foot-3 big man added 16 pounds of upper body muscle during the summer and his improved physical make-up reflects in his radically improved board numbers, averaging a career-high 9.2 caroms in just 31 minutes of action. This goes on top of his ever-present rim protection, an ability one expects from a paint presence as he racks up a pair of swats per night.
As always, health will be the main issue as banging bodies deep in the interior and being isolated on pick-and-rolls against speedier guards will put his mobility to the test. Still, Carlisle is undeterred and believes it's worth exploring.
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