Klay Thompson will not be suiting up for the Mavericks’ matchup against the Hawks tonight. That much is certain. And it is a factor that has raised some serious concerns about the former Warrior’s troubles. Take, for example, his performance vs. the Nuggets. In a game without Luka Doncic, it was a given that he would have to fill in.

Unfortunately, the 34-year-old went scoreless, reminiscent of his last game with Golden State. However, the rest of the team promptly stepped up, grabbing the 123-120 win.

According to Grant Afseth, the 4x champion has been sidelined due to “left foot plantar fascia.” Given that it requires rest and maintenance, it is likely that Dallas will continue monitoring his condition, rather than risk it. But the good news is that the ‘Questionable’ Kyrie Irving has been updated to ‘Available’.

However, they still have a long enough injury report. “The Dallas Mavericks have Kyrie Irving (illness) available to play against the Atlanta Hawks. Luka Dončić (right wrist sprain), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Quentin Grimes (illness), Danté Exum (right wrist surgery), and Brandon Williams (G League) are out.”

The Mavs, for their part, are coming off an OT loss to the Heat, as they rank 9th in the West. Much like the teams projected to be major contenders this season, especially after the franchise’s insane NBA Finals appearance (first since the 2011 championship!) last season, the ‘Lone Star State’ was supposed to be, at the very least, in the top 5 teams in the Western Conference. We don’t have to tell you the role Klay Thompson has to play in making that a reality, now, do we?

As mentioned above, Luka Doncic is dealing with wrist pain and is expected to be out for at least a week. In his absence in the team’s previous game vs. Miami, PJ Washington and Naji Marshall stepped up with 21 and 20, respectively. PJ even notched a double-double, giving everyone hope that he can continue the performance, especially with Klay not suiting up.

Can the Mavs’ depth keep the team afloat amidst the absence of Klay Thompson and others?

The franchise superstar and the resident Slovenian picked up the wrist injury during their win over the Pelicans last week in the NBA Cup game. While it was a given that Irving and Thompson would have to take Luka’s responsibilities, Coach Kidd took it a step further when he addressed reporters after practice last Thursday.

The Mavs coach called on players like Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy to “pick up the slack,” as they face a critical stretch early in the season. This was particularly important in scoring as the team’s defense’s major focus would be containing Kyrie Irving. And as pointed out, Washington and Marshall will also see increased roles, especially after that combined 41 points.

Coming back to Klay Thompson, although he’s shown flashes of brilliance, the sharpshooter’s consistency remains an issue. Although he averages 13.2 points just 17 games into the season, the 5x All-Star’s shooting – 38.3% from the field and 36.8% from the deep – are the lowest of his career. This is a crucial area of concern as the Mavs essentially rely on Klay Thompson to help balance the offense.

The Hawks game is certain to test the team’s depth and the resilience of the role players. And hopefully, they can pass the test.