By far the biggest question the Mavericks needed to answer going into this playoff series with the Clippers was how are they would match up with the Clippers' decided advantage on the wing.
With Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Marcus Morris, the Mavericks just don’t have enough wings to counter. Dorian Finney-Smith is the only reliable 3-and-D wing on the roster, having Luka guard one of the trio would risk foul trouble and Tim Hardaway Jr. is just not equipped. For Game 1, coach Rick Carlisle tried to fight the Clippers size advantage on the perimeter by beefing up his own lineup, starting Maxi Kleber.