Jason Kidd reveals approach with Mavericks’ lineup strategy

The Dallas Mavericks will play their first game of the 2025-26 NBA preseason on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This preseason projects to be exciting as 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will receive plenty of hype. Before Monday’s game, head coach Jason Kidd revealed the strategy for determining the lineup for the regular season, via Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban.

“Jason Kidd said that they will be using practice, until October 21 (the day before opening night), to figure out who the starters are and who’s coming off the bench as they plan to test out different combinations. He said that just because they left Vancouver doesn’t mean that training camp is over,” Weber wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Before training camp at Media Day, Kidd echoed a similar sentiment, telling reporters that a starting lineup had yet to come to fruition. Kidd and the Mavericks will proceed with patience as they decide which five players ultimately start.

Of course, Anthony Davis is guaranteed to start. Flagg will surely start as well. There is a center debate to be had, but Daniel Gafford’s current injury may lead to Dereck Lively II starting at the five. Klay Thompson, PJ Washington and D’Angelo Russell are all candidates to start as well.

Thompson’s scenario is especially interesting. The future Hall of Famer may seem like an obvious candidate, but there is an argument to be had for Thompson potentially playing a sixth man role.

A lineup of Russell, Flagg, Washington, Davis and Lively could become an option. However, a Russell, Thompson, Flagg, Davis and Lively starting five would also make sense. There are other options as well.

Kidd will have a few weeks before he hands in his starting lineup for the regular season opener. At the moment, Dallas is focused on Monday’s preseason contest.