Mavs Preview: Dallas Banking On Klay Thompson As Missing Piece To Title Puzzle

Mavericks Preview

A look at the Dallas Mavericks entering the 2024-25 season …

• Record: 50-32 (lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals)
• New Faces: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie
• Key Losses: Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Overview

The big question for the Mavericks: Can they strike the right balance?

Last season, the Mavs were a team constantly tugging in opposite directions. They had a top-10 offense, but their defense was bottom-10. Luka Doncic looked like an MVP, and Kyrie Irving, when healthy, was a dynamic partner.

But the rest of the roster? Light on offensive creation, inconsistent defensively, and battling injuries. It felt like a tug-of-war all season.

By March, Dallas found a formula that worked — pairing Doncic and Irving with defenders like Derrick Jones Jr. and trade acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.

The result? They went 16-4 down the stretch, storming through the Western Conference with the league’s second-best defense over that span. But that balance crumbled in the Finals, when the Celtics dared Dallas’ supporting cast to beat them from beyond the arc. Spoiler alert: they couldn’t.

Enter Klay Thompson. One of the deadliest shooters in NBA history, Thompson gives Dallas exactly what they lacked in the Finals — another reliable scoring threat that defenses can’t ignore.

Nico Harrison has revamped the Mavs’ roster, moving on from Jones, Josh Green, and Tim Hardaway Jr. to bring in Klay, Dinwiddie, Grimes, and Marshall, hoping to elevate their offense without tanking their defense.

Now the question is … well, will it work? Thompson might not be the same defender he was in Golden State, and that puts pressure on guys like Washington and rising sophomore Dereck Lively II to cover for his limitations.

Washington, in particular, will have to take on the opponent’s toughest perimeter assignments, which was Jones’ role last year. And while Lively was a revelation as a rookie, he’ll need to take another step to anchor a defense that coach Jason Kidd needs to piece together.

If everything clicks, Doncic wins MVP, the offense hums, and the defense holds its own. The Mavericks could find themselves back in the Finals — this time, with enough firepower to finish the job.

But if Thompson struggles, Washington can’t handle the defensive load, or injuries rear their ugly head again, Dallas could find itself in the same situation as last year — talented, but out of gas when it matters most.

The Mavs are making a big bet on Thompson and on finding that delicate balance between offense and defense.

If they hit the jackpot, they might just bring home the trophy. But if it falls apart, they could bow out early, left wondering what went wrong.

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