Small-Ball Antidote???

[KillerLeft]

If Lue went even smaller, (no Zubac), then doesn't he risk turning it into lob city for Luka/Kyrie?

It might work that way - it's possible. 

Gotta remember though: The smaller team is faster, and much more able to control the pace. Easier to play defense when you score, and easier to play offense when you're not taking the ball out of the net and inbounding it. Sometimes, what should work in theory has a way of getting neutralized by the snowballing effect of the other team's plan working better. 

Are you prepared to say you trust the centers/pick and roll game against Kawhi MORE than you trust Kawhi and/or Paul George and/or Harden not to chew them up with 5-out spacing? I, personally, do NOT like those odds. 

That's why Kleber is so valuable. It's not REALLY small ball when he's out there. In fact, he's probably the best paint defender of the bunch (though Lively is pretty damn good already). The only thing you're giving up with the Kleber/Washington lineup is a little bit of rebounding, and imo, the massive defensive upgrade more than makes up for it. I also think we'll see Washington used more and more frequently as the roll man in those situations, though that might be more of a next year thing.

EDIT: My answer to your question might be different if one of the centers was like Jokic and you could throw the ball into him and say "go." But, they're not, and they never will be, not even Lively. Because the roll stuff is dependent on a defender making a slight mistake, my guess is that the Clipps will defend that stuff better without Zubac, not worse. And they would KILL the Mavs up and down the floor.