‘We’ve Got To Make Shots’: Mavericks Start D’Angelo Russell As Klay Thompson Comes Off Bench For First Time In Dallas
Searching for a spark to revive a sluggish offense, the Dallas Mavericks made a major change to their starting lineup Wednesday night — inserting D’Angelo Russell as the starting point guard and moving Klay Thompson to the bench for the first time since joining the team.
The change wasn’t known when head coach Jason Kidd met with reporters pregame, but his comments about adjusting on the fly — and emphasizing flexibility with lineups — foreshadowed what was to come.
“Things always change,” Kidd said before tipoff. “Lineups change. Shooting percentages change. Philosophy changes. You’ve got to be willing to change.”
A New Look for a Struggling Dallas Mavericks Offense
The Mavericks entered the night at 2–5, ranking near the bottom of the league in offensive efficiency. Kidd’s decision to start Russell pushed rookie Cooper Flagg to small forward and gave the Mavericks a more traditional playmaker at the top of the offense.
For Thompson, 35, the move was unfamiliar territory. He had started all 79 games of his Mavericks tenure and hadn’t come off the bench since his final season with the Golden State Warriors in 2023–24. Through seven games this season, he’s averaged 8.1 points while shooting just 31.8% from the field and 26.2% from three-point range.
Thompson checked in midway through the first quarter with the Mavericks trailing early. He quickly found rhythm, hitting a three-pointer and a midrange jumper on consecutive possessions — a reminder of his ability to provide instant offense even in a new role.
Jason Kidd on Shooting, Defense, and Injuries
Before the game, Kidd spoke broadly about the team’s offensive struggles and the need for patience while key players work back to full health.
“You can be beat on any given night,” he said. “That’s the message to the guys — play hard, play Mavs basketball, take care of the ball. We’ve got to make shots.”
Kidd also pointed to defensive transition as a current area of focus, explaining why the Mavericks have been reluctant to send multiple players to the offensive glass. “Our transition defense isn’t very good,” he said. “If you send multiple guys to the rim, it just puts you in harm’s way — especially with really fast teams.”
With Kyrie Irving and Danté Exum still sidelined, the Mavericks’ backcourt rotation remains in flux. Anthony Davis continues to play under a minute restriction as he regains conditioning, and Dereck Lively II is still ramping up after his own absence.
“When you have injuries and minute restrictions, it’s tough to get a rhythm,” Kidd said. “We’ve shown flashes. There’s no panic. We’re getting wide-open looks, we’re getting stops, but we’ve got to start getting timely stops.”
The Mavericks hope the lineup shakeup — with Russell orchestrating the offense and Thompson leading the second unit — helps restore balance and rhythm as they continue to search for consistency early in the season.
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