Dallas Mavericks Starting Lineup and Depth Chart: Will Cooper Flagg Play at Point Guard vs. Wizards? (Oct. 24)

The Dallas Mavericks will hope for a quick turnaround on Friday when they take on the rebuilding Washington Wizards. The Mavericks tipped off their season with a disappointing 125-92 loss against the San Antonio Spurs with their new core led by Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis.

Flagg managed only 10 points in his debut after a scoreless first half. Nevertheless, he added 10 rebounds, finishing with a double-double. Davis led the way with 22 points, 13 rebounds and two steals, but shot only 7 of 22 and got outplayed by Victor Wembanyama.

The Mavericks struggled heavily with their jumbo lineup, featuring Flagg at point guard. They had no shot creator in the lineup, and it resulted in their offensive woes. Most of Flagg's issues were a byproduct of that.

Dallas only had 20 team assists, with five coming from rookie Ryan Nembhard, who has given the coaching staff plenty to rethink their strategy. He was one of their better playmakers in the preseason, too.

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Dallas Mavericks Injury Report vs. Washington Wizards

The Mavericks will remain without Dante Exum and Kyrie Irving. Exum has a knee injury, while Irving is recovering from ACL surgery.

Meanwhile, Daniel Gafford is in contention to return and make his season debut. He's questionable, citing an ankle injury, and will likely be a game-time decision.

Dallas Mavericks Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

The Mavericks could retain their starting lineup with Cooper Flagg at point guard despite the issues it presented in the opener. The coaching staff has sounded confident about its prospects, so they may roll with it. Klay Thompson started alongside him as the shooting guard. The frontcourt trio, including P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II.

If the Mavericks choose to switch things, D'Angelo Russell may get the nod to start at point guard, pushing P.J. Washington to the bench. Cooper Flagg could end up in his usual position at the three.

PG	Cooper Flagg	D'Angelo Russell	Brandon Williams
SG	Klay Thompson	Ryan Nembhard	Jaden Hardy
SF	P.J. Washington	Naji Marshall	Max Christie
PF	Anthony Davis	Caleb Martin
C	Dereck Lively II	Daniel Gafford	Dwight Powell

Where to watch Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks game?

NBA League Pass will provide coverage of the Washington Wizards vs. Dallas Mavericks game online. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the American Airlines Center, the Mavericks' home court.

About the author

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

Know More

Washington Wizards Nation! You can check out the latest Washington Wizards Schedule and dive into the Wizards Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Edited by Arhaan Raje