NBA scout says Mavericks should feature Jalen Brunson as starter

The Dallas Mavericks recently opted to make a change to their starting lineup by swapping out Maxi Kleber in favor of Dwight Powell. Could they be better off making another change by inserting Jalen Brunson into the mix to give Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis some more help?

One NBA scout told NBA Analysis Network that he feels as though the Mavericks would be best suited to start Jalen Brunson. He highlighted how Luka Doncic shoulders a taxing load of playmaking responsibility and having another reliable ball handler alongside him could go a long way.

“There’s a lot of pressure on Luka Doncic as the primary ball handler for the Mavericks’ offense throughout games,” said an Eastern Conference scout who asked to remain anonymous given he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “He seems worn out towards the later parts of seasons with the load he has to carry. Brunson could help share the ball handling duties and allow Doncic to pick his spots more and conserve energy and reduce fatigue.”

There are plenty of intriguing benefits the Mavericks would receive by starting Jalen Brunson in the backcourt. He’s a real threat with and without the basketball in his hands and Dallas would become a more layered attack.

“Having another steady hand that can use high ball screens with precision would be very helpful for the Mavericks. Brunson can operate within narrow gaps getting downhill from above the break. He can play off-the-ball alongside Doncic and attack off-the-catch when the defense collapses and a kickout is made. Doncic would also be able to be involved in more off-the-ball actions within their offense and could gain post-up positioning against mismatches after switching occurs.”

Currently, the Mavericks are starting Josh Richardson at the shooting guard spot. The idea behind that is to bolster the defense of the unit. His offensive limitations are too great to overlook and he isn’t making a forceful enough defensive impact to be deterred from making a change.

Instead of needing to go out and sign a secondary ball handler, the Mavericks have one of the NBA’s more efficient options already on their roster. Jalen Brunson is too good to be a backup at this point and it’s time he is featured in the starting lineup to bring the best out of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

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