Mavericks did not play their best lineups in season opener

The Dallas Mavericks were dominated by the Atlanta Hawks in their season opener. Superstar Luka Doncic finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, but had a poor shooting night as the Mavericks only scored 87 points. The Mavs struggled on offense, and Atlanta took full advantage.

The Hawks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They are one of the deepest teams in the league behind superstar Trae Young, and Atlanta presented plenty of matchup issues for Dallas. De’Andre Hunter played outstanding defense on Doncic as the Hawks big man combo of John Collins and Clint Capela controlled the paint. It was an incredible team effort from the Hawks as they picked up the 26-point victory.

It was a disappointing first game for new head coach Jason Kidd as the Mavs struggled with their spacing and just never found their footing. It was a difficult matchup, but it was surprising to see Dallas not play their best lineup.

What is the Dallas Mavericks best lineup this season?

Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway Jr. are musts in the Mavs' best lineup, but they have options for the other two positions. The focus should be on shooting and defense making Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock the two top options. If the opposition is playing two traditional big men, Dallas could decide to add Maxi Kleber for Bullock.

Neither of those two lineups appeared in the season opener against the Hawks, according to NBA Stats. Why did new Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd not use them and will he moving forward?