Dream scenario for Mavericks fans is one step closer after Kidd's latest reveal

With D'Angelo Russell resting, we saw Jason Kidd employ a massive starting lineup featuring Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II against the Utah Jazz on Monday evening. According to the Dallas Mavericks' head coach, that lineup will be returning when the team next takes the floor on Wednesday night.

“You’ll probably see that group start again on Wednesday,” Kidd said. This should have Mavs fans that tuned in on Monday pretty excited.

What this lineup ended up producing was Dallas' most dominant inside production of the preseason, along with their most consistent defensive performance. Seeing this group of five guys work so well together gives Kidd an obvious reason to try it again against the Lakers the next time out. 

Preseason is always when you want to test certain things out, but it's clear that, at least for right now, the Mavericks have found something with this group. This combination of five players embraces the versatility of the roster and of course has a big opportunity to create mismatches against opposing lineups that are perhaps more traditional. 

The Mavericks' big lineup will be back on Wednesday

At 6-foot-5, Klay Thompson is by far the shortest player in this starting five. The lineup as a whole offers a plethora of length, shot-blocking ability, floor spacing, switchability, and athleticism. Frankly, it's not hard to see why this combo is a nightmare for opponents, as it's going to force opposing offenses and defenses to adjust in pretty unconventional ways. 

It's obvious that this team has plenty of belief in Cooper Flagg. That much has been obvious since day one. But putting him in these kinds of lineups and allowing him to figure things out with different and varying lineups to start preseason figures to be an excellent long-term choice for his development. 

I also think one of the biggest ways in which this group of five players can be a growth tool for this team is by stress testing whether or not Dallas can survive having fewer traditional ball handlers on the floor. With this lineup, they're obviously relying more on size and rebounding. 

This is one of those things the coaching staff can fall back on their muscle memory of later on. Kidd probably won't want to use this as his full-time starting lineup to begin the season, but he at least now he knows what it looks like against an NBA defense that's not his own team in practice. If the Mavs continue to find success with this look, it could very well be something that gets utilized more and more as the year goes on.