Carlisle could go a few different directions here and I think matchups will dictate who starts, until Donnie lands another big or two. Candidates to start include Brunson, Barea, Wright, Jackson and Kleber. I think Curry & Boban come off the bench regardless.
Tonight McCollum is questionable; and Whiteside is probable. Simons will likely start in McCollum's spot. Whiteside is going to be a problem. Melo is going to be a problem.
My guess is Carlisle will need heavy minutes from Kleber as he and DFS are the only forwards who can handle Anthony. Kleber will also need to help with Whiteside and DFS will be needed on the perimeter to help with Lillard. Just a tough matchup.
I'm going out on a limb and giving Jackson the start. This keeps the Wright-Brunson-Curry bench trio intact; and Kleber can fit in where needed. Mavs can survive if Jackson can hold his own for 20 minutes and Boban gets 5-8 minutes in each half. The side benefit is Jackson could be showcased as a key trade asset.
Doncic
THJ
DFS
Jackson
Porzingis
Longer term, we know everyone around the Mavs thought they needed a banger, even before Powell's injury. And word is they are still looking for a 15 ppg big, so I think the silver lining of Powell's injury is the Mavs still have assets for the trade market and Powell's is a position they were likely looking to upgrade anyway. Powell was unlikely to be traded himself, so in the end, if the Mavs get their guy, Powell's injury may only impact their depth.
IMHO, if they sign a guy like Joakim Noah or an overseas center, he won't start. Noah could perhaps add bench depth to backfill what they were planning to do with Powell. They still need a starting forward with some size, who can rebound and score.
A guy like Lauri Markkanen would fit in extremely well. He's been miscast as a 5 and spot-up 3PT shooter in a Porzingis-like role but he has neither the length nor aptitude to guard the rim. He has holes in his game on defense even as a big forward, but he moves his feet well. Given time, I don't see why he couldn't excel in a Gallinari-type role on any team. The big question is whether or not Chicago's management is ready to move on from him. The fanbase is fed up with both Markkanen and the coach, so perhaps they're willing to go in a different direction. Markkanen is still a very inconsistent young player so this would 100% be a move for the future. No way Markkanen is ready to compete at Doncic's level, so it will be interesting to see if the Mavs want to go young or add a veteran who can contribute now, e.g. a guy who you hope Markkanen could become like Danilo Gallinari himself... or even gulp, Al Horford.
Tonight McCollum is questionable; and Whiteside is probable. Simons will likely start in McCollum's spot. Whiteside is going to be a problem. Melo is going to be a problem.
My guess is Carlisle will need heavy minutes from Kleber as he and DFS are the only forwards who can handle Anthony. Kleber will also need to help with Whiteside and DFS will be needed on the perimeter to help with Lillard. Just a tough matchup.
I'm going out on a limb and giving Jackson the start. This keeps the Wright-Brunson-Curry bench trio intact; and Kleber can fit in where needed. Mavs can survive if Jackson can hold his own for 20 minutes and Boban gets 5-8 minutes in each half. The side benefit is Jackson could be showcased as a key trade asset.
Doncic
THJ
DFS
Jackson
Porzingis
Longer term, we know everyone around the Mavs thought they needed a banger, even before Powell's injury. And word is they are still looking for a 15 ppg big, so I think the silver lining of Powell's injury is the Mavs still have assets for the trade market and Powell's is a position they were likely looking to upgrade anyway. Powell was unlikely to be traded himself, so in the end, if the Mavs get their guy, Powell's injury may only impact their depth.
IMHO, if they sign a guy like Joakim Noah or an overseas center, he won't start. Noah could perhaps add bench depth to backfill what they were planning to do with Powell. They still need a starting forward with some size, who can rebound and score.
A guy like Lauri Markkanen would fit in extremely well. He's been miscast as a 5 and spot-up 3PT shooter in a Porzingis-like role but he has neither the length nor aptitude to guard the rim. He has holes in his game on defense even as a big forward, but he moves his feet well. Given time, I don't see why he couldn't excel in a Gallinari-type role on any team. The big question is whether or not Chicago's management is ready to move on from him. The fanbase is fed up with both Markkanen and the coach, so perhaps they're willing to go in a different direction. Markkanen is still a very inconsistent young player so this would 100% be a move for the future. No way Markkanen is ready to compete at Doncic's level, so it will be interesting to see if the Mavs want to go young or add a veteran who can contribute now, e.g. a guy who you hope Markkanen could become like Danilo Gallinari himself... or even gulp, Al Horford.