Accurately Assessing the Mavs Recent Personnel Changes

[mvossman]

Yeah, that's mostly my point. The Mavs had the best defensive rating in the league post TDL and DJJ played just shy of 20 mpg. That means that the entire team defense was good, not just with DJJ playing POA defense next to LuKai. Like we both mentioned, inserting Lively into that group next year gives you a bit less offense and a bit more defense from the Center position, again offsetting some of the difference in Klay vs DJJ. I just see people hung up on this Klay vs DJJ in the starting lineup and assuming it will tank the defense that we saw last year.

To take it further when looking at how Kidd plays his starting lineups (start of first and third Q) the opening day group played 99 minutes in 12 games (8.2 mpg) and then the most used starting lineup prior to the post-TDL change was 88 minutes in 9 games (9.7 mpg). 

So, again too much is being made of the starting lineup. Even if/when Gafford starts... I'm trying to get ahead of it and tell people to relax

Yeah, to be honest I was one of the folks freaking out about not having a POA defender (outside of PJ) in the starting lineup.  I still have lingering concerns, but it helps to see that it can be mostly mitigated via lineup construction.