The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of training camp, working on retooling the offense to better fit the personnel. In the past few years, it revolved around letting Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving handle the pick-and-roll, as they’re two of the better decision-makers in the pick-and-roll that the NBA has ever seen.
Trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis forces a team to re-work everything, especially with Kyrie Irving expected to miss part of the season as he recovers from ACL surgery. The Mavs also have an entirely different coaching staff under Jason Kidd, which brings different things to the table.
Jason Kidd and Anthony Davis revealed after a practice this week that the Mavs plan to use Davis similarly to how the Sacramento Kings used Domantas Sabonis, which is where assistant coach Jay Triano had been previously.
Sep 29, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) poses for a photo during the Mavericks 2025 media day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“He doesn’t always have to be down low—he can be outside on the perimeter, but he can be in all five spots,” Kidd said. “I love the way Coach Jay has taught the offense. The positions are interchangeable. Everything’s read-and-react. In the first week, guys have picked it up, and it’s been great.
“His ability to shoot and then play-make. In the DHO’s [dribble handoffs], he can play on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll, mid-range to three-point line—he can shoot it. Also, playing off the dribble, he can drive it. The more we put him in those situations where teams just can’t load up on him in the post, I think that’ll help our offense.”
“Ball movement. Getting to our spots and creating lanes for our guys,” Davis said. “With Jay Triano coming over and kind of how they used Sabonis as the hub, kind of the same thing. And guys just playing off of that.”
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Although the Mavericks are confident in their own abilities, people have questions about the roster construction, especially since Anthony Davis is insistent on playing power forward, not center. That’s where he’d be best utilized, unless he suddenly becomes a 36% three-point shooter.
He spoke about his reasons for that this week as well.
“…My thing was never about, you know, five or four or anything like that. It was about just playing a five the entire game, you know, for the entire season, just a little bit more wear and tear on your body,” Davis explained. “And I didn’t do that until my second year in LA, right? The first year we won it was JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard]. And before that, in New Orleans, I was never the five. I was always the four. So it was just different, for me, playing the five. And I just felt like, um, I was better at the four.
“…Now, did I play five, at times in LA and New Orleans? Absolutely. But for the entire season, if we’re talking about the entire season, then I prefer the four, but you know, we’re talking about games, you know, even going to playoffs. Like, hey, playoffs, you know, I get it. It’s all about matchups and what we’re trying to do offensively. You know, then if that happens, where Jason Kidd’s like, ‘Yo, we need you to play the five.’ Then that’s what it takes, you know, to win. But I’ve stressed it to JK, Nico; they understand, and I’m putting my trust in them.”
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