Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd started Cooper Flagg at point guard in the team's last two preseason games. The move gave Dallas an extremely big starting lineup — as Flagg started alongside Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II in Wednesday's 121-94 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. However, D'Angelo Russell is also on the roster. The Mavs will need to decide if Flagg or Russell will start at point guard for the season opener on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs.
“There's a lot of good, positive stories here, and so we have some time to make a decision,” Kidd said following the win over the Lakers, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Turning to the veteran Russell makes sense. He's a veteran combo-guard who is more than capable of handling point guard duties. His defensive questions would take away from the Mavericks' defensive-minded approach on the perimeter, however.
Flagg starting in the backcourt would make Thompson the team's only questionable defender in the starting lineup. Thompson was once a reliable two-way player, but his defense has endured ups and downs in recent years following multiple injuries.
There are legitimate arguments for starting Flagg or Russell at the point to begin the new campaign. If Flagg gets the nod, Russell will lead the second unit. If Kidd goes with Russell, Flagg will likely start at small forward with Thompson and Russell in the backcourt.
Either way, expectations are extremely high for Flagg — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
