"Still have big goals" - Klay Thompson keeps his spirits high amid decision to join Mavericks seemingly ages poorly

Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson was in high spirits following his team’s 133-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Thompson was key for the Mavs, recording 26 points, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 8-14 from the field and 3-8 from the 3-point range. Thompson left the Golden State Warriors in the summer after 13 years to join Dallas.

A decision that seems to be aging poorly now that Luka Doncic has been traded for Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving is out with a torn ACL. Despite that, Thompson has kept his spirits high. Speaking after the game, he shed light on the Mavericks’ plans for the season.

“We still have big goals; we still want to make a run," Thompson said. "The injuries have been awful, but I still love our team... I still believe in this franchise. I'm here for two more seasons after this."

He further added:

“I would love to help them return to the glory that they were brought to in 2011.”

Following the Mavs-Spurs game on Monday, Dallas now holds the 10th seed in the Western Conference (33-33). Above the Mavs sit the Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves at ninth, eighth and seventh, respectively. If the Mavericks manage to hold on to 10th, they’ll have to defeat two of these teams to make the playoffs. A tall task, to say the least.

Kyrie Irving channeled his inner Klay Thompson during his last game of the season

The Dallas Mavericks took a massive hit when Kyrie Irving tore his ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3. However, despite suffering such a major injury, Irving didn’t immediately make his way to the locker room. Instead, the 32-year-old went to the free-throw line and made both his shots before checking out of the game.

Kobe Bryant, whom Irving looked up to, did something similar after tearing his ACL in 2013. Moreover, his teammate, Klay Thompson, did the same thing during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

This is a tough time for the Mavericks, as they are now without Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, P.J. Washington, Kai Jones, Jaden Hardy and Brandon Williams.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Mavericks can achieve with such a depleted roster. The team will surely look towards Klay Thompson to lead it during this difficult stretch.