Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (back spasms) sat out of his team's 112-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, and head coach Rick Carlisle was in a bit of a pickle. If the Mavs still had Brandan Wright on the roster, picking a replacement would be easy. Rather than inserting Greg Smith into the starting lineup, Carlisle decided to go uber-small, with Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and three guards: Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis and J.J. Barea.
Nowitzki, who Dallas generally doesn't like to put at the center spot because of the physical toll it takes, had a terrific game. In 29 minutes, he finished with 30 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, 2-for-3 from the 3-point line and 12-for-12 from the free throw line. He also had a great postgame quote:
Dirk on when Carlisle told him he was playing center tonight: "I thought he had a few beers to make that decision."
— Bryan Gutierrez (@BallinWithBryan) December 29, 2014
Parsons added, "That's the most unathletic frontline we've ever had." In all seriousness, though, Nowitzki at center is a viable option with the way this team is currently constructed. The Mavs don't have rim protection with that look, but it's not as if Greg Smith is a great shot blocker anyway. At this stage of his career, Nowitzki might be more suited to guard centers than mobile power forwards, though it's understandable that Dallas wouldn't want him to do so for more than short stretches. In 14 minutes against Oklahoma City, that starting lineup had an offensive rating of 137.5 and a defensive rating of 108.6 -- while it's a miniscule sample size, you get the idea.
As for what went into Carlisle's decision, well, you can apparently give Don Nelson credit:
Rick Carlisle's inspiration for small-ball starting 5 with Tyson Chandler out: Nightmare during pm nap about coaching vs. Nellie.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 29, 2014
