"Jason Kidd": NBA fans troll Mavericks defense sporting a new starting five ft. Klay Thompson

Fans share their thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks' unique starting five now that they've finalized the sign-and-trade to acquire Klay Thompson. After failing to defeat the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, the Mavs have added a quality veteran star in the offseason to help push them to the next level.

The Mavs showed promise last season after their mid-season acquisition of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. They elevated their defense and improved their interior offense, as both big men were capable off-ball scorers. This time, they added the other half of the Splash Brothers, improving their outside shooting.

ESPN shared the Mavs' potential starting five, which features Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II and Thompson.

With a new Big 3, fans are excited to see how the new-look Mavs team will perform in the 2024–25 NBA season. However, there is a major concern about how the team will perform defensively. All three of their star players are offensive-minded, which could expose their defense.

Here are some of the things the fans had to say.

"Jason Kidd," one fan answered the question.

"Might be the softest D i’ve ever seen in my life," another fan has a unique way of noticing things.

"Just outscore the other team lol," one fan has a suggestion on how the Mavs could work things out.

There are a few fans who pointed out Washington and Lively as decent defenders for the starters.

"Dawg acting like PJ and DLive can’t pick up whatever slack is there…pure comedy," one fan said.

"Causal take. PJ is an elite perimeter defender, Kyrie and Luka are above average and Klay while not a positive, isn’t a cone," another fan said.

"I think you should chill. The same folks that played defense on there way through the West into the finals," one fan shared.

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Klay Thompson on why he chose No. 31 with the Mavericks

Klay Thompson is hoping to move on from his days as a Golden State Warriors star. With a fresh start, the veteran shooting guard picked No. 31 for the Mavericks.

Thompson joked that Irving had already received his number, which was 11. He also shared that NBA legend Reggie Miller was also an inspiration to him in choosing No. 31.

"I watched so much footage of Reggie coming off screens as a teenager," Thompson said. "He had no fear, whether he made or missed a shot -- he was going to live or die by it."

Thompson and Miller have similarities in their game; having them wear the same number is somewhat iconic for NBA fans.