The Dallas Mavericks won their second game of the season without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with a 117-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks trailed for a majority of the game until a late 16-0 run helped them take the lead and the win, courtesy of hot nights from Jaden Hardy, PJ Washington, and Quentin Grimes.
One player who visibly struggled was Klay Thompson, who played just 21 minutes in the short-handed win. His frustration was clear on the court, as indicated by his poor body language after Jaden Hardy ignored a wide-open Thompson in the corner for a 3-on-1 possession which didn’t end well.
Klay looked kinda frustrated at the end & rightfully so. pic.twitter.com/mbDwivdb3Q
— Panda Hank (@pandahank41) January 10, 2025
Klay was playing through a frustrating night where he had 3 points (1-6 FG, 0-4 3P), 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Jason Kidd benched him for the fourth quarter and would later discuss the move by encouraging Klay to step aside for his teammates during rough performances.
“Yeah, he’s fine, just understanding we’re a team. His teammates picked him up tonight and he’ll be ready to go on Sunday.”
“It’s big, it just shows the character of the team. It shows the depth of the team. This group is going to have some time together and get a rhythm, put their best foot forward. Their energy and effort are high… We found a way to win tonight.”
Hardy is well-known for making some less-than-ideal decisions on offense, whether it’s rushed jumpers or attacking three defenders instead of passing to the open man. It worked well for the guard last night, as he put up 25 points (10-18 FG) and was crucial in the win.
He had the hot hand and elected to go head-first into a bad possession instead of giving a cold Klay the ball. If we had to discuss what the correct play in that situation would be, almost nobody would say that Hardy should’ve taken that shot attempt with the clock expiring when he had a wide-open Klay in the corner.
Thompson is averaging 13.8 points this season, shooting 38.1% from three. He’s served well in his role as a rotational shooting option, with the Mavs getting better defensive output from Klay than they ever could have expected. However, he can’t be a consistent leading offensive option anymore, which is why coach Kidd had to turn to others in this win.
Klay’s skill set works best when Luka and Kyrie are on the court as well, guaranteeing more open opportunities for Thompson. When they’re gone, teams will look to contain Klay before they look at other perimeter options like Grimes, Hardy, or Spencer Dinwiddie. As a result, his numbers have dropped off in recent games.
Klay getting benched for role-players last season is what ultimately poisoned his time with the Golden State Warriors, so everyone will pray the same doesn’t happen this year in Dallas.
He seems to be aware that his role within the Mavs is much smaller than what he enjoyed with the Warriors, but it might hurt him to see his value dip less than half a season into his new franchise.
Hopefully, Coach Kidd can find ways to keep Klay engaged and motivated even during cold spells. He has to maximize the Mavericks’ chances of winning and if Thompson isn’t helping them do that, he’ll have to face reality and accept a bench role as the season progresses.
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