By position: The big man game is a chess match in the Mavericks vs. Clippers series.

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers embark on the third chapter of their playoff battle on Sunday, with the teams clashing at 2:30 pm Central Time at Crypto.com Arena, a game available to watch on ABC. Some of the characters have changed, but the recent history is clear and should make for a great first round matchup.

Every series has a storyline that sets the tone and then a storyline that unfolds in real time as you play. Dallas' story is the scorching play of its star-studded backcourt, but the Clippers' success will depend on the play of their wings and whether Kawhi Leonard is truly healthy. But for both teams, the big story in this series will be the play of their big men and how well they can adapt as both teams execute their plans.

dallas mavericks

The Mavericks have had big man problems for more than a few seasons. It was a white whale for the organization, dating back to Tyson Chandler's initial departure after winning the 2011 title. It all started two seasons ago in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, when he played the center tandem of Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber, with Boban Marjanovic floating in the background and exposed deep on the boards. returned to the screams.

But they righted the ship there. Last summer, they drafted Derek Lively, who was outstanding in his first game, and brought in Daniel Gafford at the deadline, creating a monster duo of rim running and shot blocking in the paint. MVP-Level Luka Doncic Given his two athletic big men with great touch near the rim, it's no surprise that he gets the most out of his arsenal.

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Gafford started 21 of the 29 games he played in Dallas. As a starter, he averaged 12.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, all career highs over a full season. He has natural chemistry with Doncic, has solid hands through traffic, and uses both his size and athleticism well on the block. Defensively, he has a good sense of space and timing, but he lacks confidence when tasked with defending and defending space from high screens. The Clippers will likely try to expose the Mavericks here. If the big man gives himself too much space, his army of ball handlers can comfortably score off screens and hit midrange jumpers.

Here, Jason Kidd may face his greatest test yet. If Gafford is left stranded on an island, how will he adjust his rotation time? He has two options: stay big or give rookie Lively, who hasn't played since March due to injury and the death of his mother, more playing time. Kidd said this week that the young big man should be “okay” heading into the series.

He plays with confidence on both ends of the floor and looks like a veteran in the league. Lively is better at defending in space and more agile than Gafford, is good at sliding, and stays light on his feet without shrinking his length. In addition to Ivica Zubac, the Clippers also have Daniel Theis and Mason Plumlee. But given Doncic's historical tendency to force the Clippers' big men off the floor, don't be surprised if Ty Lue chooses to go small with five.

And that becomes Kid's bait. Can he stay big with the Mavericks having their best performance in the final two months of the season? This left opportunities for Dallas to dominate the glass and access the basket on both ends of the floor. And the Clippers don't have Nicolas Batum, who provided versatility to the big man forward like he did last season.

If Kidd isn't happy with that shift, he'll probably get a big dose of Maxi Kleber in the fifth. In tough situations late in the season, he reflexively used his cleverness to close out games, playing fierce switchable defense to flank Doncic and Kyrie Irving. While it works in theory, Kleber doesn't offer the same rim protection or repulsion as Gafford or Lively. He also doesn't offer a vertical threat and isn't confident in his 3-point shooting, though he's shooting 34.8 percent this season. This is quite a small sample and applies to almost all of the Mavericks' lineup data this season, but look at the grouping of Doncic, Irving, Dante Exum, PJ Washington, and Maxi Kleber. Despite logging just 39 minutes this season, he has a 135.6 offensive rating, 93.9 defensive rating, and a +41.7 net. Don't be surprised if Kidd tests the waters with this group's tense timing.

Los Angeles Clippers

It's hard to imagine how excited Croatian big man Ivica Zubac was when it was revealed that the Clippers would play the Mavericks in the first round for the third time in five years. His first encounter in the bubble was not as painful for him as his second. Indeed, Zubac is skilled. He played in 68 games as a starter this season, averaging 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. But in that final series, some night terrors had to come back.

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That will be a challenge for Lue, who, as mentioned above, may be a little less versatile at the big size position. Keeping Zubac on the floor for extended periods of time will require Doncic to isolate him and take him out multiple times. Perhaps the Clippers will try to get the ball out of Doncic's hands with a quick trap and deal with Kyrie Irving. In the last series, we didn't have to worry about a player like Irving. Tim Hardaway Jr. started in the backcourt and Jalen Brunson wasn't the player he is now. Even under those circumstances, Lue was ultimately forced to pull Zubac outright to save the series in seven games. In his four wins in 2021, his playing time was 11 minutes, 18 minutes, 5 minutes, and 2 minutes. The Clippers will either have to live with that risk or downsize quickly and force the Mavericks to make their own decisions.

The last word

This is the ultimate chess match of the series. Both teams have the potential to swing the series significantly in their favor by forcing the other's big men into tough situations or forcing the hand of the opposing coach.

The Mavericks have a slight advantage here, as they have a bit more positional versatility towards the bigs or “smalls.” And the depth of having Lively, Gafford and Kleber may keep the legs fresher in what will likely be a physical series.