With pace, passing, and versatility driving their new system, the Dallas Mavericks believe they’ve found an offensive identity that fits.

The Dallas Mavericks are embracing a new style — one built on pace, precision, and purpose.

Under new assistant coach Jay Triano, who joined the Mavericks after spending the past few seasons with the Sacramento Kings, Dallas is implementing an offensive system that blends Princeton-style motion. It’s an approach that prioritizes passing and movement over isolation and encourages players to read defenses instead of relying on rigid set plays.

Head coach Jason Kidd said the early results from the first week of camp were encouraging.

“I love the way Coach Jay has taught the offense,” Kidd said. “The positions are interchangeable. It doesn’t just have to be a big in the center spot. We’ve got bigs on the perimeter. Everything’s read-and-react. In the first week, guys have picked it up, and it’s been great.”

Triano, who joined Dallas after working with the Sacramento Kings, brought with him the motion and spacing concepts that made Sacramento one of the league’s most efficient ball-moving teams. His design frequently initiates through the high post, where bigs act as connectors — a role that now belongs to Anthony Davis.

For Davis, who averaged 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in nine games with Dallas last season, the new structure fits perfectly.

“Ball movement. Getting to our spots and creating lanes for our guys,” Davis said. “We have a lot of guys who love basketball and can playmake. So the emphasis has been getting to our spots on the floor, opening up lanes for everyone, and then attacking the basket. … 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.”

The similarities to Triano’s system in Sacramento are clear. The Kings’ offense relied heavily on dribble handoffs and cutting actions through the elbows, maximizing the versatility of their bigs. Dallas now aims to mirror that balance — using Davis as a playmaking fulcrum to open opportunities for shooters and cutters alike.

“I can play-make,” Davis said. “I don’t always have to be down low. I can be outside on the perimeter, but I can be in all five spots. In the DHO’s, I can play on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll, mid-range to three-point line — I can shoot it. Also, playing off the dribble, I can drive it. The more we put me in those situations where teams can’t load up on me in the post, I think that’ll help our offense.”

That philosophy has made the Mavericks’ offense far less predictable — a team built on motion and reaction rather than set pieces.

Dereck Lively II said it has transformed the team’s feel offensively.

“We’re moving on the floor, we’re always agile, we’re not sitting there and just watching somebody back someone down,” Lively said. “There’s a lot of rolling and trying to get to the next pass and trying to get to the next man, because we know if we keep swinging the ball and moving the rock, we’re going to get someone open without even realizing it.”

Triano’s influence also extends beyond the paint. By stretching defenses with high-post actions and drive-and-kick playmaking, the Mavericks expect to generate more open perimeter shots.

“Once we figure out who we are as we go forward, there’s going to be plenty of threes to be taken,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to be a team that can be consistent in making them. We believe teams are probably going to play a lot of zones and pack the paint because we are big. They’ll want to see where we are shooting the ball. We truly believe we’ve got guys who can make threes, and we believe we can create threes with the inside-out game and also just the penetration game.”

Wings like Naji Marshall said the system has given the Mavericks freedom.

“He just spreads the floor and allows us to play our game,” Marshall said of Triano. “That helps me tremendously. And then we’ve got a lot of weapons. So, if we just play with them guys, it’s going to be amazing.”

The same system has also unlocked D’Angelo Russell, who Kidd said has thrived as both a shooter and creator.

“He’s shooting the lights out,” Kidd said. “He’s shooting the ball at a high rate, and his playmaking has been superb. That’s what we need — to find the open guy, play with some pace, and when he’s open, shoot it.”

Triano’s approach has introduced a new tempo and energy to the Mavericks’ practices, emphasizing movement and communication as the foundation for chemistry.

“The energy, the communication, everything was at a high,” Kidd said. “The competition was at a high. It was a fun week. We did a lot more playing than we have in the past, so it was good.”

The Mavericks will open their preseason Monday against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. For Davis and his teammates, it marks the first chance to test the new offense in a live setting — one they believe could define their season.

“If we stay locked in, we can accomplish everything we want to out of this,” Marshall said. “If we all play together, we’ll be a beautiful sight to see. I can’t wait.”