6 Mavericks players who have no room for error in Jason Kidd's rotation

2. Klay Thompson

Over the offseason, it was reported that Klay Thompson was going to be the starting three for the Mavs this season. Despite Jason Kidd not officially putting out a starting lineup yet, all signs are pointing to him being the starting small forward next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Thompson has played well enough in the preseason to show that he should be in the starting lineup even though we haven't seen him play with Doncic yet, but there still remain some glaring questions when it comes to his fit into the starting five. Due to Doncic and Irving being in the starting unit with him, his defense is going to have to be solid. They can't hide Thompson when he is sharing the floor with those two, and if his defense isn't good, Kidd could elect to start someone else over him.

It's clear that Thompson is going to play a ton on a nightly basis due to his unworldly shooting and off-ball gravity, but his fit into the starting lineup is going to be tested right away. The wings who succeed playing next to Doncic have typically been defensive-minded 3-and-D wings, and his defense will be tested right away.

This isn't suggesting that Thompson isn't cut for the starting lineup by any means, but Quentin Grimes and Naji Marshall could eventually play their way into the starting five if Kidd thinks Thompson would make more of an impact off the bench. There shouldn't be huge concerns when it comes to Thompson's overall fit, and his performance next to Doncic is going to be must-see TV.