The Dallas Mavericks' clutch woes came back to bite them once again last night in Golden State, and Dallas now sits at 5-6 and in 11th place in the Western Conference. This is the last place that Mavs fans expected them to be after the offseason they had, and everything is still coming together for Dallas.
Their injuries over the last few weeks have been brutal, and Dereck Lively II returned to the lineup last night after missing a few games with a shoulder sprain.
Klay Thompson did not disappoint in his return to the Bay as he finished with 22 points while shooting 6-12 from downtown, and even though his former team got the best of the Mavs and they've been struggling, Captain Klay isn't worried.
Klay Thompson isn't worried amid Dallas' losing streak
Thompson has been around the block plenty of times during his NBA career, and after the game, he emphasized that he remains confident in the Mavs and their potential, and he seems as motivated as ever to help get them back on the right track over the coming days.
"I'm really proud of how this team keeps fighting," Thompson said. "We're still getting to know each other and I keep telling the guys, it's better to go through this stuff early in the season versus game 60."
Thompson's return to the Bay was everything you could have asked for, and his poise and leadership even during this time of adversity for Dallas tells you everything you need to know about where his head is at and what he thinks the Mavs are capable of. He isn't too worried about dropping a couple of games in a row in November, but it is time that Dallas figures out a way to play better basketball in the clutch.
Dallas' excellence in the clutch last year was one of the many reasons that they were great, and this year, they have reverted to their old ways and have struggled to close out games that are in reach. They haven't been able to get great shots down the stretch when they need a bucket, and their offense at the end of games is seemingly predictable.
They have to get back to finding ways to win when their backs are against the wall, and that is one of the many signs of a great team. Great teams can win when they're in a hostile environment and the odds are stacked against them, and through 11 games, Dallas hasn't been a great team.
Their 3-point shooting is not where it was at last season, and they have yet to find their true identity. Last week, Jason Kidd talked about how they are still figuring out who they are at this point of the season, and with so many injuries, this has made it even harder for them to do that.
P.J. Washington's knee sprain has hurt Dallas as they miss his defensive intensity and size, and his return should help the Mavs start to stack up some wins moving forward. They can't keep dropping these winnable games and expect to be real contenders in a loaded Western Conference, and Thompson's confidence in his new team shows why Dallas will be just fine.
Thompson is right in the fact that it is much better to go through these trials now rather than in a couple of months when every game matters, and his leadership and poise in this moment show some of the many reasons that Nico Harrison went out and signed him over the offseason.
