It did not take long after the Dallas Mavericks improbably won the NBA Draft Lottery – and with it, a clear path to draft Cooper Flagg – for speculation to begin regarding where the Duke standout would slot in on a veteran-led squad. The Mavericks frontcourt was already stacked, with Flagg only adding to the arsenal, when head coach Jason Kidd pontificated on the idea of playing Flagg as the Mavericks’ point guard.
In what some may have dismissed as the machinations of a mad scientist head coach, Kidd throws a number of ideas into the fray. “I don’t look at the position,” Kidd says, before declaring “I want to put him at the point guard.” He mentions having Flagg “run the show” and even specifically mentions Flagg “being able to run the two.” Fast forward to Flagg’s recent Summer League interview where that topic, among others, came up once again.
At the 1:00 minute mark of the video, Flagg is asked how he feels about playing point guard. His ultimate answer is simple – “I’m looking forward to it,” he says, referring back to his time at Duke while mentioning he didn’t bring the ball up the court much, but did take point in the half-court.
Up until the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency, they had a gaping hole in the backcourt. While its unlikely many counted on Flagg starting at the point, Russell’s arrival definitively puts that outlandish idea to rest. Aside from Russell however, there are still material question marks in respect of the starting lineup. Dereck Lively will most certainly start at center, with Anthony Davis at power forward. Last year’s regular starters at shooting guard and small forward were Klay Thompson and P.J. Washington respectively. The chances of Flagg coming off the bench are infinitesimally low, if not outright zero percent, so which of Thompson or Washington move to the bench?
After winning the Draft Lottery, the logical conclusion may have been that Washington was the odd man out, seeing as both he and Flagg are tailor made for the small forward spot. Now that the initial wave of Free Agency has subsided and Summer League play is rolling in, we have no credible rumors of further roster moves, making it likely that Flagg and Washington will be teammates next season. If Kidd’s declaration about Flagg “being able to run the two” is to be believed, the logical conclusion is that Thompson will be moved to the bench, with Flagg as the starting shooting guard. Washington is in a contract year, so barring an extension that gets him well-paid to come off the bench, it’s not a reach to figure it’s Thompson that slots into the sixth man role for the Mavs.
Could a starting lineup that light on outside shooting perform effectively in today’s NBA? The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder think so, as they shot 33.8% from deep during their Playoff run to the trophy. The Mavs certainly have the talent to make up for a potential lack of shooting by crushing teams defensively and dominating in the paint. Subbing Thompson in for either Flagg or Washington as the first substitution could effectively spread the wealth, as could small-ball lineups (which would actually be quite tall), but however you slice it, Kidd is going to have to be clever in how he deploys a talented but forward-heavy roster. As things stand currently, an opening day starting five of DLo, Flagg, Washington, AD and Lively is feeling more and more likely.
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