Heading into Thursday night’s affair against the Charlotte Hornets, the Dallas Mavericks were making a much needed pit stop at home after dropping the previous two games on the road to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

Against the Lakers, the Mavericks played a much-awaited match against their former superstar, Luka Doncic. The Slovenian didn’t just remind the Mavs of how badly they messed up when trading him at the deadline, but he showcased the skills he would bring to LA for years to come and made sure to show Nico Harrison what he had done.

While Tuesday’s loss was emotional for many reasons, the Mavericks needed to make an obvious change in their starting lineup if they wished to get back in the win column.

Brown’s surprise start exposes why Mavericks must commit to going big

Against the Hornets, Jason Kidd rolled out a new starting five that displayed newly signed Maverick, Moses Brown. Brown’s addition didn’t just expose a fatal flaw that Dallas had been relying on for weeks prior, but it could’ve given the seven-footer a second crack at an NBA roster. Starting a player on a 10-day contract is definitely a major risk, but Brown showed why that risk was worth it.

For weeks, Kidd and the Mavericks have relied on a smaller starting unit with Kessler Edwards and P.J. Washington (when healthy) manning the four and the five spots. While this lineup hasn’t been a net negative overall, the past two games against the Warriors and Lakers exposed the Mavs for their lack of size on defense and at the rim.

Surprisingly against the Hornets, Kidd made the decision to give Brown the starting nod and it instantly changed the Mavericks’ identity on both ends of the floor. Brown finished the night off with 20 points and 11 rebounds to give Dallas much needed life at the center spot.

More impressively, Brown led Dallas in scoring for much of the game until Kyrie Irving took over the offensive duties in the second half. Brown’s 31 minutes didn’t only remind fans of what this team looks like when a natural center is on the floor but his presence freed Dallas up from questionable defensive possessions.

With Edwards on the floor, Dallas had constantly been beat down low with easy pick-and-roll plays or back-door cuts. Brown’s presence hadn’t only given the Hornets much to think about, but it gave Dallas much needed shot blocking at the rim.

Brown is by no means the final answer at the starting spot for Dallas, but if the Mavericks need to buy themselves a few more weeks before Anthony Davis or Dereck Lively II come back, they could explore starting Dwight Powell. Fans would love for Brown to start again, but after Saturday’s game, his 10-day contract will expire and the Mavs can’t bring him back for another one due to their cap situation.

His play against the Hornets was impressive for many reasons, but it may have given Dallas a glimpse at what their starting five should look like for the remainder of the season. Having a natural center manning the five spot should be a clear sign to Kidd about this team’s identity.