Cooper Flagg at point guard wasn't working. So the Dallas Mavericks mixed things up Wednesday night. 

It didn't help. 

With a new starting lineup, the Mavericks suffered a 101-99 loss at home to the previously 1-6 New Orleans Pelicans, who entered Wednesday with the worst record in the Western Conference. With the loss, the Mavericks are now pulling up the rear in the West at 2-6.

Head coach Jason Kidd switched up his lineup ahead of Wednesday's game. Veteran point guard D'Angelo Russell moved from the bench to the starting lineup, freeing up Flagg to play off the ball after he started his NBA career at point. Klay Thompson, who started the season shooting 31.8% from the field and 26.2% from 3, moved to the bench. 

The result was a strong stat line for Flagg, who tallied 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. But he shot 8 of 19 (42.1%) from the field. And he missed an open floater that could have tied the game in the final seconds. 

Instead, the Pelicans corralled the rebound and ran out the clock.

Kidd made the lineup change after a 2-5 start that doused excitement in Dallas that Flagg could join forces with Davis and Irving to compete in the West and help turn the page on the disastrous trade of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Davis, whose propensity for injury was no secret when general manager Nico Harrison traded Dončić to acquire him, missed his third straight game Wednesday with a calf injury. Irving, meanwhile, remained sidelined while recovering from an ACL tear with no timeline to return. 

With Irving sidelined, Flagg played point guard for much of Dallas' first seven games. A 6-9 forward with a versatile skill set, Flagg is a capable ball-handler and passer. But he struggled at point to start the season, so Kidd moved him Wednesday to his more natural position off the ball. 

The result was another loss. And Flagg's transition to the NBA continues to be a work in progress after he averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 turnovers and shot 38.8% from the field in his first seven games. 

The season is young, and Flagg has flashed plenty of the promise that made him the No. 1 pick in June's draft. And the Mavs are hoping at some point that they'll be able to play him with regularity alongside Davis and Irving. 

But there's no sugar-coating that this is a miserable start to the Mavericks' season.