The Dallas Mavericks are doing their best to navigate the challenging 2024-25 NBA season, which has been riddled with setbacks. The latest blow came with the serious knee injury that ended Kyrie Irving’s season, prompting a complete retooling of the team’s strategy. Jason Kidd addressed the situation, providing a notable comment regarding Klay Thompson.
“There’s no number one option, it’s team,” Kidd said in an interview shared by reporter Joey Mistretta on his X account. “We don’t have a number one or a number two, we’re not built like that right now, we’re built on team.”
Speaking specifically about Thompson, who is arguably the only superstar on the team currently available to play, the head coach made an important distinction. “Klay is one of the best, he’s a future Hall of Famer, but we gotta set screens and create those opportunities for him.”
Kidd elaborated on the team’s new approach now that they’re without stars like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, while also waiting for Anthony Davis to recover. “Everybody touches it and whoever is open, shoot it… This isn’t to run plays for one person.”
Head coach Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks watches play during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Center on March 01, 2025.
Thompson’s performance with the Mavericks
While Klay Thompson’s place in NBA history is unquestionable, his performances this season have yet to match the standards of his past. The four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors is averaging just 14.1 points per game with the Mavericks, his second-lowest career average following his rookie season.
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Thompson has also been struggling in other areas. His 2.0 assists per game fall below his career average, and his three-point shooting, his signature skill in Golden State, has dipped slightly. Over his 11 seasons with the Warriors, Thompson averaged .413 from beyond the arc, but this season, he is shooting at a .401 clip.
The Mavericks’ struggles continue
Kyrie Irving’s injury seems to have dealt a devastating blow to the Dallas Mavericks’ chances this 2024-25 NBA season. Despite overcoming a series of injuries throughout the year—including setbacks to key players like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II—the Mavericks were still able to string together a solid number of wins.
Even after the surprise departure of Luka Doncic, who had been sidelined with an injury before heading to Los Angeles, the team managed to stay competitive. The Mavs even weathered the early injury to Anthony Davis in his debut with the Houston Rockets.
However, the loss of Irving has proven too much to overcome. Since his ACL tear against the Sacramento Kings last Monday, the Mavericks have lost all three games they’ve played. In each of those losses, the absence of key players to step up in clutch moments has been evident. Four consecutive defeats have dropped the Mavericks to 10th place in the Western Conference, putting them on the brink of missing out on the Play-In tournament.
