Mavericks' starting lineup battle intensifies with 2024-25 season approaching

Dallas Mavericks Media Day came and went on Monday afternoon, and it was everything that Mavs fans were excited about and more.

Klay Thompson remains ecstatic to be playing for the Mavs and seems as motivated as ever, Spencer Dinwiddie cleared the air about his strange comments after spurning Dallas last season, and Naji Marshall looks like he'll quickly become a fan favorite due to his dedication to excellence on the defensive end.

Media Day is always the perfect event to gain excitement for the season, and the Mavs will now begin training camp today in Las Vegas. Several players spoke about how they were looking forward to bonding with their teammates in Vegas, and this year's training camp is going to be huge for certain players who are fighting for minutes.

Kidd pushes Mavericks to compete for every minute in training camp

Jason Kidd's rotation is wide open, and that includes the starting lineup.

Kidd said that there are probably two or three players who are locked in to start, but outside of that, everyone is going to be competing for minutes. He made it clear that some players may have to "sacrifice" for their overall goal of winning the NBA Finals.

Kidd wants his guys to compete for everything in practice and in training camp, and it's going to be interesting to see how everything unfolds heading into the start of the regular season on October 24.

When looking at the Mavs' roster, the three guaranteed starters that Kidd mentioned can assumed to be Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II. Kidd said that Lively II would start the year in the starting lineup during Media Day, but failed to mention who else would join him in that lineup.

That means that the small forward and power forward spots are up for grabs heading into training camp. It's anybody's game.

The starting small forward battle will likely include Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and potentially Quentin Grimes. It'll likely come down to Marshall or Thompson, and the Mavs will have to decide if they want to go with the defense and versatility of Marshall or the unworldly 3-point shooting of Thompson. It was reported earlier in the offseason that Thompson would be the guaranteed starting three in Dallas, but that could change if what Kidd said was true.

At the four, it'll likely be P.J. Washington as the starter. Washington's defense was crucial for the Mavs down the stretch last season, and it's hard to imagine a world where he gets moved to the bench. Dallas could elect to go small and start Marshall at the four, but the starting power forward spot seems like it's Washington's job to lose.

Kidd isn't ruling anything out heading into training camp, and that's exactly what you want from your head coach. He is "instigating competition" for the final couple of weeks heading into the regular season, and it's going to be interesting to see how everything unfolds.

The Mavs are in a great spot to repeat as Western Conference champions, and fans should be excited about how all of their new pieces are going to fit in. Dallas has their first preseason game on October 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies, and that'll give fans their first chance to see how this new-look squad looks in action.