Where will the offense go in the post-Doncic era? Kidd may let Flag serve as point guard and follow Antetokounmpo

Translator's note: The original text was published in The Athletic, and the data in the text were as of the time of publication (September 16th local time). The dates and times involved are all local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

For many years, under the control of Luka Doncic, the Mavericks are characterized by using all the open three-pointers created by the Slovenian pick-and-roll master and scoring efficiently.

Until last season, every year when he played for Doncic, the Mavericks ranked in the top eight in the league in three-point shooting. Meanwhile, they ranked in the top eight in the league with four offensive efficiency.

2018-19 season, the fourth in three-point shooting, the 20th in offensive efficiency, the second in three-point shooting, the 1st in offensive efficiency, the 1st in offensive efficiency, the 6th in three-point shooting, the 8th in offensive efficiency, the 8th in offensive efficiency, the 14th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in 2021-22 season, the 8th in three-point shooting, the 14th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in offensive efficiency, the 12th in In the 22-23 season, the third in three-point shooting, the sixth in offensive efficiency, the second in three-point shooting, the eighth in offensive efficiency, the eighth in 2024-25 season, the second in three-point shooting, the 26th in offensive efficiency, and the 18th in offensive efficiency, the Mavericks no longer rely on high scores to win most games. General Manager Nico Harrison traded one of the best young players in the league for the reason to "win the championship with defense."

The Mavericks may have to win the game hard this season — especially when Irving suffered an ACL torn in March.

As training camp will open in two weeks, here are four questions about the Mavericks' 2025-26 season.

Without Irving, can the Mavericks' offense stand?

Trading Doncic makes Irving the most indispensable player in the Mavericks lineup. It is easy to argue that Anthony Davis is the best player in the Mavericks, but no one is more important than Irving, because after him, the team's ability to carry the ball has experienced a cliff-like decline.

The Mavericks signed D'Angelo Russell in June to replace Irving into the starting lineup. Russell brought some much-needed ball-holding and outside shooting to the Mavericks.

Russell performed so poorly with the Lakers last season that head coach JJ Redick demoted him to a substitute. Afterward, Russell was traded to the Nets in December. When playing for the Lakers in 2023-24, Russell averaged 18 points per game, and with a large number of shots (7.2 per game), he scored 41.5% from three-point shooting percentage, while averaging 6.3 assists per game.

The 29-year-old left hand will be a creative passer, but also a scorer with a volatile hand, and rarely hit the basket completely. According to the tracking data of the NBA official website, he averaged 6.1 games last season - fewer than Mavericks players such as PJ Washington (7.0 times) and Dante Exam (6.5 times).

Davis played only nine games for the Mavericks last season, but when he was on the court, the team used him as the offensive axis. Davis is one of the best finishers in the NBA. This season, the Mavericks may demand that he take on more organizational and offensive responsibilities than ever before.

Russell, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Davis will all lock in the starting position. At the center position, one of Derek Lefley II or Daniel Gafford will start. This leaves Klay Thompson or Washington with the last starting position. In the game Davis played last year, the Mavericks' three-point shooting data was very bleak. Thompson still attracts defensive attention outside the 3-point line and may help alleviate the problem of space congestion. However, the Mavericks may be more inclined toward another option, as Washington is taller, he is a better defender and more likely to break through the basket with the ball.

How many "point guard Flag" can we see?

Early in Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks career, Jason Kidd, then the Bucks head coach, gave the "Greek monster" a lot of opportunities to hold the ball. Antetokounmpo has said it helps to boost his growth.

"He trusted me," Antetokounmpo said in 2018. "He put the ball in my hands. He motivated me to be better." Kidd seemed ready to try something similar with Flag, the rookie who won't turn 19 until December. Kidd said in June that he wanted Flag to play point guard to spur him. Flag's two games in the Las Vegas Summer League show that Kidd is not kidding. Flag frequently organized attacks for the team very early.

6ft8" (approximately 2.03 meters) Flag has the figure of a power forward, but since the Mavericks already have other frontcourt players around him, he may not play this position often this season. Flag showed excellent passing skills at Duke, when he led the team with assists. He is good at passing and receiving – a great skill for a team with vertical threat points like Davis, Lefley and Gafford.

PJ-How will Washington's role be affected?

The Mavericks won the No. 1 pick this year with a 1.8% chance, which was simply a surprise. On the lottery night, the Mavericks' management in Chicago celebrated with ecstasy. Flag's arrival seemed to revitalize some of the players and staff who were depressed after the disappointing finale of last season. One of the potential chain reactions of this shocking draft result is the potential impact of Washington's role. Without Washington, the Mavericks would not be able to beat the Thunder in the 2024 playoffs, and his strong performance continued last season. He performed well outside the 3-point line (38.1% shooting), able to attack the basket stably, and often undertake tough defensive tasks. After the trade to Doncic in February, the Mavericks experienced turmoil, so Washington also took on the rebounding mission and played the role of team stabilizer.

Flag's upper limit is obviously much higher than Washington, but there is overlap in their game style. In June, Harrison pointed out that he thought the two could play together.

"He (Frager) had a tryout while he was here," Harrison said earlier this year. "PJ was there too. I asked PJ, 'Do you think you can play together?' He said 'Oh yes, we can play together'. I didn't see any jealousy."

Earlier this month, Washington signed a four-year, $89 million early contract renewal with the team. This contract means he cannot be traded this season. Whether Washington starts or comes on as a substitute, he will get a lot of playing time. How he and Flag work together will be a big highlight. Can the Mavericks stay healthy?

We already know that the Mavericks will be missing Irving in the first few months of the season. This makes it especially important for Davis and other key players to stay on the court as much as possible.

Last spring, a left adductor muscle strain left Davis absent for six weeks. Harrison said in April that he believed Davis would not need surgery during the offseason. However, it was reported in July that Davis needed surgery for retinal shedding. This is undoubtedly something to pay attention to in the early stages of this season.

Davis has only made more than 65 appearances in the first 13 seasons of his career. For the Mavericks to have a chance to make it to the top six in the competitive Western Conference, they will likely need Davis to play this benchmark, which will also make him eligible for the All-Squad and Defensive Player of the Year.

This season, the Mavericks also need Lefly to play more stably. The talented 21-year-old played a total of 91 games in the first two seasons of his career. He underwent surgery during the offseason, removing the bone spur from his right foot, but all signs indicate he has fully recovered.

Davis and Lefly only played together for 54 minutes last season. The Mavericks need to conduct a longer inspection of this double tower lineup this year.