Mavericks: Should David Lee Start At Center?
The Dallas Mavericks have enjoyed unexpected success with Zaza Pachulia, but it seems like the team is better with recent addition David Lee under the rim.
The Dallas Mavericks enter a crucial stretch of the 2015-16 regular season as a team that’s fading fast and one that looks like it’s headed for an early offseason. With 18 games remaining and several of those against NBA powers like the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers, it might take a miracle for the sixth-seeded Mavericks to hang on for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
In fact, only because the Portland Trail Blazers have hit a three-game losing skid of their own are the Mavs still holding that sixth seed – Dallas and Portland are both 33-31 with two games against each other still coming in March.
Not a good place for a team mired in a three-game losing streak of their own.
Yes, this is going to be really tough, but for the Mavericks to survive, something must change. This deals not so much with offensive or defensive philosophy, but rather with who’s on the court and when.
Center Zaza Pachulia was acquired in the aftermath of the still-remembered flake-job by Los Angeles Clippers free-throw expert DeAndre Jordan last summer. Pachulia was thought, by some, to be Dallas’ most valuable player over the first couple of months of the season.
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But since the calendar switched over to the new year, Pachulia hasn’t been the same. Opponents have obviously figured out his greatest weaknesses and have exploited them handsomely.
In late February, Dallas acquired Boston Celtics forward/center David Lee, a well-traveled veteran who has done nothing but impress since suiting up for his first game in a Mavs uniform less than two weeks ago. In that time, Lee has provided a boost in both athleticism and moxie that the Mavericks just didn’t have before.
In fact, during Lee’s second game with the club, a 122-116 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center, Pachulia sat the bench the entire second half and overtime as the Mavericks were able to eventually pull away for the win.
Lee had a double-double in that Denver win and has simply outplayed Pachulia, who failed to score in that contest and came away with just one rebound in just over eight minutes on the court.
On Monday against the Clippers, Pachulia had just two points to go with eight rebounds – Lee had the same number of rebounds to go with 13 points, second on the team in that latter category.
Pachulia can certainly play a role on this Mavericks team, but that role should include coming off the bench. Lee is just too productive and I dare say that Dallas would enjoy quicker starts in more games with Lee’s presence, both offensively and defensively, from the get-go.
Despite Pachulia’s career-performance in double-doubles this season, Pachulia is a clear liability defensively and he’s not exactly a sure ball handler under the rim.
Lee is able to post-up defenders and use a respectable mix of shots and moves to get the ball in the hoop and he’s even got some range shooting that we haven’t really seen some from Pachulia this season.
If the Mavericks expect to make the playoffs, let alone accomplish anything meaningful once they’re there, there’s going to be matchups that don’t favor Pachulia starting. Off the bench, Pachulia might be even better than he has been given the typical assignments he would draw from the opposition.
Lee is the better option starting games – and I’ll even state that getting reserve center and shot-blocking phenom Salah Mejri more minutes should be a priority immediately.
Head coach Rick Carlisle certainly has a good idea of what he’s got in terms of players – he also knows what he doesn’t have.
Having said that, Carlisle needs to stop with the idea that his starting lineup is getting the job done. Dirk Nowitzki, while still a productive scorer, is as streaky as he’s ever been. Same goes for Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams. Beyond Chandler Parsons, there’s really nobody in the starting lineup that’s been capable of delivering on a regular basis, especially over the last couple of months.
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Except for Lee.
David Lee needs to be starting, beginning with Wednesday’s must-win contest against the Detroit Pistons at AAC.