When the Dallas Mavericks returned from a Finals campaign, it looked like a team that had cracked the code. With Nico Harrison at the helm, they were no longer chasing star free agents and returning empty-handed. Klay Thompson was locked in. It was Kyrie Irving just the year before. Championship on the mind, chemistry on the roster, and a successfully established depth for the first time since 2019. “This franchise no longer resembles that old one you knew,” Mavericks staff writer, Tim Cato would write. That is the team Thompson believed in…

…That was the franchise Klay Thompson had chosen for his new home after having known only one for the past 13 years. It stung, but the 4x champion knew they could create something special. It has been near-10 months since and Dallas is no longer a picture Thompson had walked home to. Luka Doncic has found a new jersey to adorn, Kyrie Irving is out with injuries, Anthony Davis is yet to hit the court, and the Mavs sit 10th in the Western Conference.

If you ask his father, Sports commentator and ex-Lakers star Mychal Thompson, he predicted the team might just lose 10 games in a row. Yet, this is the team Thompson believed in and he isn’t letting it waver, no matter the situation. “The injuries have been awful, but I still love our team,” he said after the game against San Antonio Spurs. Well, the Mavs did play with only 8 on the roster for the most recent game and came out victorious — 129-133. But how long would the team sustain with that roster? That’s an answer up in the air. But the 5x All-Star isn’t giving up. At least not for the seasons to come.

“I still believe in this franchise. I’m here for two more seasons after this. So I would love to help them return to glory that they, you know, were brought to in 2011,” he added following the game. 33-33 on the table currently, that’s certainly a far-fetched dream for the season. But in the next two, which his 3-year $50 million contract permits, Thompson can hold out all hopes. However, there might be a little bit of a hiccup there as well. 

Kyrie Irving has been a major chunk of the reason Thompson found his way to the Mavs.

Just last month, he made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, that was 21 points in less than 9 minutes. The greatness of it wasn’t lost on Thompson, who himself has struggled in scoring this year. He had a five-game stretch of single-digit points earlier in the season. So when Irving went down in a scenario all-too-familiar for the former Warrior, he prayed. While the news of an ACL tear wasn’t easy on the ear, it wasn’t too bad either, he admitted. 

Thompson is holding down the fort without their star player, but he knows who the true leader is and awaits his return. “(Irving) is a warrior,” he says. “He’s going to be back. He’s going to be the same Uncle Drew we all know. We miss him so much. He was our voice. He was our leader. We’re going to do our best to hold it down without him.” So with Kyrie’s contract option uncertain for next year, Thompson is going to have quite a task navigating the coming seasons. 

Anthony Davis, on the other hand, still remains in recovery after suffering an injury during his debut for the franchise. NBA insider Marc Stein, however, carried an update that revealed the former Lakers star has shown signs of progress and a return to the court before the season’s end seems feasible. A continuation of the matter though, could push Mavs to consider his contract as well.

For now, head coach Jason Kidd is laying all his trust in the leading man, Klay Thompson.

Mavs HC Jason Kidd showers praise on Klay Thompson

The Mavericks currently have 8 of their players on the injury list, excluding Kyrie. Three of these aren’t expected to return until April first week. The matter had Tompson’s father admitting, “ So yeah, he’s stuck in purgatory right now.” But evidently, he remains unfazed, emerging as a steadfast leader, both on and off the court. And of course, his 26-point performance against the Spurs didn’t go unnoticed by the coach.

“It has been a minute since we’ve won, but I think when you look at the games before this, our spirit has still been high,” Kidd told the reporters at the post-game press conference. “It’s just been that fourth quarter that we’ve kind of run out of gas. But no one’s down. Guys come, you know, they’ve been pros.” For that, he gave a big shout-out to the swingman. “I give Klay a lot of credit for leading this group, being the vet to come to work and ready to play every night,” he added.

Besides Klay, Kessler Edwards (22-11-3) and Spencer Dinwiddie (28-7-6) also contributed to their strong performances on both ends of the court. So, it was a win-win for the Mavs, and if they continue with this mindset, especially with Klay Thompson leading the charge, they might just be able to make it through this season.