Mavericks' perfect starting five may be scrapped before season even begins

Just one day away from Dallas Mavericks basketball officially kicking off again, fans are elated that all the offseason speculation and theorizing over how this season will go can finally come to an end, as they'll get to see this season play out on a night-to-night basis. One of the most burning questions fans have had all offseason for the Mavericks regards what starting lineup head coach Jason Kidd will run out on night one, especially given so many new additions.

Considering Dallas' impetus to play double-big, it seems more than likely Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II will all start together, and it seems likely Klay Thompson will earn a starting nod once again, considering how badly Dallas needs some spacing in their starting unit.

However, while early signs indicated D'Angelo Russell would be Dallas' starting point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury, Kidd could opt to start Flagg at point guard and throw another wing in the starting lineup like P.J. Washington instead of Russell.

Early signs suggest Mavs' starting five isn't what was originally expected

Many fans thought Russell was practically guaranteed to start after Dallas signed him on the Taxpayer MLE this summer, but Kidd opted to play a jumbo-sized starting lineup with Flagg at point guard multiple times toward the end of preseason.

Russell still got his fair share of looks in preseason, and it should be noted that Kidd notoriously toys with his lineups at the beginning of the season, but if Dallas' last two preseason games are any indication of what's to come, it doesn't seem like Russell will be starting any more.

For many Mavericks fans, starting Russell at point guard would be the idealized way to start crafting a starting five until Irving's back, but Kidd and the Mavericks could be heavily concerned about having Thompson and Russell lead their defensive backcourt. Despite preseason action typically being less intense, Dallas got roasted from downtown in their only preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets recently, and Thompson and Russell's inconsistency on defense was certainly part of that equation.

The Mavericks have enough size and bigger-bodied wings to simply maul opposing teams on defense, but teams with more perimeter-oriented offensive attacks could present trouble for the Mavericks this season, especially if Russell and Thompson were to start in the backcourt on a nightly basis.

Given how Kidd usually operates, it wouldn't be surprising to see him start Flagg at point guard in bigger matchups, Russell against other matchups, and maybe even Brandon Williams, depending on how he fares to start the season. However, Dallas and Kidd can hopefully cling to a regular starting five well before Irving returns this season, so it will be extremely interesting to see who his most-used starting point guard is this season.

It would undoubtedly be a lot to handle for the 18-year-old Flagg to balance point guard responsibilities off the bat, especially for a majority of a contest, but this could also accelerate his development more than any Mavericks fan could've even fathomed, so seeing how much of a leash Kidd gives to Flagg in terms of handling the rock will be one of the biggest early-season storylines to follow in Dallas.