Mavericks Shake Up Lineup: Why the Surprising Benching of Klay Thompson Could Change Everything

Well, it looks like the Dallas Mavericks are hitting the reset button after Cooper Flagg’s stint at point guard didn’t pan out the way anyone hoped. Head coach Jason Kidd has shuffled the deck for the upcoming clash with the New Orleans Pelicans—bringing seasoned guard D’Angelo Russell up from the bench and sliding Klay Thompson down to a reserve role. With big names like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving still out nursing injuries, Dallas is rolling out a fresh starting five featuring Flagg back in his comfort zone at small forward. This move isn’t just about tinkering with the lineup; it’s a response to a tough 2-5 start that’s left the Mavs languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. Kidd’s gamble is clear: let Flagg focus on what he does best on the wing while hoping Russell sparks some much-needed energy at the point. Thompson, meanwhile, gets a chance to find his rhythm off the bench and maybe thaw out that shooting slump. It’s a pivotal moment that could redefine the Mavericks’ season — or cement their struggles. Stay tuned, because this shakeup is as much about hope as it is about harsh reality. LEARN MORE

Cooper Flagg at point guard hasn’t exactly been working. So the Dallas Mavericks are making a change.

Head coach Jason Kidd switched up his lineup for Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell is moving from the bench to the starting lineup. And Klay Thompson is moving to the bench.

With Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving still sidelined by injury, the Mavericks announced the following starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans, with Flagg at small forward:

D’Angelo Russell
Max Christie
Cooper Flagg
PJ Washington
Daniel Gafford

D'Angelo Russell and Cooper Flagg will start together for the first time Wednesday night. — D’Angelo Russell and Cooper Flagg will start together for the first time Wednesday night.

(Stacy Revere via Getty Images)

The lineup change frees up Flagg from the point guard duties he’s started his career with to slot back into his more natural position in the frontcourt. Thompson, who’s also been struggling to start the season, will move into a sixth-man role, where the Mavericks hope he can break out of his shooting slump and provide a scoring spark off the bench.

Mavericks need something to change

Kidd made the move after a 2-5 start that had the Mavericks in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The start has doused any excitement in Dallas that Flagg could join forces with Davis and Irving to compete in the West and move on from the disastrous trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

A 6-9 forward with a versatile skillset, Flagg started the season at point in part because Irving was sidelined by an ACL tear from last season. Flagg is a capable ball-handler and passer, but his natural position that he played primarily at Duke is on the wing.

The decision allowed Kidd to find out if Flagg is capable of playing point as the Mavericks await the return of Irving, who does not have a timeline. At this stage of his career, at least, the position was not a good fit.

Flagg, who started the season with enormous hype as the No. 1 pick in the draft, has gotten off to a lackluster start to his career. In his first seven games, Flagg’s averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game. He’s shot 38.8% from the field and 30.8% from 3.

Starting Flagg at point guard also allowed the Mavericks to keep Thompson in the starting lineup. But Thompson’s gotten off to his own poor start, averaging 8.1 points, 3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 31.8% from the floor and 26.2% on 6 3-point attempts per game.

So the impetus was twofold. And the Mavericks are hoping the lineup change can spark a turnaround from a discouraging start to the season.