Mavericks vs Warriors Preview: Klay Thompson returns to face Golden State

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

The 5-5 Dallas Mavericks continue their tremendous road momentum with a trip to Chase Center to face the 8-2 Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Both clubs take part in this competition after facing some of the best teams in the league over the weekend. The Mavericks suffered heartbreaking consecutive losses to Phoenix and Denver, and the Warriors were Cleveland’s 10th straight victim before overcoming an early deficit to beat Oklahoma City after Thunder center Chet Holmgren left the game with a hip injury.

While injuries to center Dereck Lively II (shoulder sprain) and forward PJ Washington (knee sprain) have forced the Mavericks to field some smaller lineups of late, the Warriors have done so intentionally this season. Golden State is averaging 39.5% accuracy on 41.3 3-point attempts per game and has five starters who shoot 40% or better from beyond the arc – guards Steph Curry, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody; and forwards Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins – plus another, guard De’Anthony Melton, who hit five of his eight long-range attempts in his Warriors’ starting debut against the Thunder.

With injuries to Lively and Washington, the Mavericks have not only lost points and rebounds, but also two of the team’s better perimeter defenders, making Golden State an especially difficult matchup. A glimmer of hope for Dallas is forward Maxi Kleber’s expected return from a hamstring injury on Tuesday, although he will likely see limited playing time.

Up front, the Warriors have forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis, who lead in field goal percentage at .700, and can counter big lineups with reliable center Kevon Looney. Although the athletic Kuminga at times questionably fit into the Warriors’ structure and personnel, his talent and performance on the bench were undeniable. Mavericks center Daniel Gafford provided scoring and perimeter defense in Lively’s absence, but suffered foul trouble in those games and had to play against Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. If Lively misses Tuesday’s game, expect Dallas to turn to center Dwight Powell for help.

NBA Cup

Tuesday’s game is the first group game for both teams in this year’s NBA in-season tournament. The Mavericks will play each of their opponents in West Group C, which includes the Warriors, Pelicans, Nuggets and Grizzlies, between Tuesday and Dec. 3 to determine who advances to the knockout round. The winners of each of the six groups and two wildcard teams, the runners-up from the group with the best regular season record, will play in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Klay’s return

Mavericks forward Klay Thompson will play his first career game in the Bay Area as a visitor after being an integral part of four Warriors title teams in his 13 seasons there. The team plans to honor one of the greatest players in franchise history with souvenir captain’s hats for fans in attendance to commemorate Thompson’s long-standing practice of boating across San Francisco Bay to games. After a hot start to the season for the Mavericks, Klay’s shooting quality has declined of late as he shot a combined 8 of 26 from the field, including 2 of 13 from 3-point range, against the Suns and Nuggets.

Wanted: bench hit

The absences of Lively and Washington also highlighted how much Dallas relied on Lively and forward Naji Marshall, who stepped in for Washington as a starter, for bench production in 2024-25. What’s also striking is how little they’ve gotten from their reserve guards lately. Head coach Jason Kidd tried different approaches over the last two games to get better performance out of the starting lineup, nearly emptying the bench against Phoenix before playing a short rotation against Denver, with similarly disappointing results. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy combined for seven points on Sunday, and Quentin Grimes did not play. Depth was expected to be one of this team’s strengths, and that will be the case if the Mavericks look to compete against the Warriors.

The path ahead

Tuesday’s game is the second in a series in which the Mavericks have played 11 of 15 on the road after failing to capitalize on a five-game home stretch in which they won only against teams from Orlando and Chicago, who were decimated by injuries. Due to travel and the team’s poor health (Luka Dončić didn’t miss any time but suffered a left groin injury), the Mavericks have a lot of work to do, but can take a break in the next four games against the Spurs treat. Jazz, Thunder and Pelicans, teams that are below them in the standings or are missing key contributors due to injuries.

Although it didn’t help them in the standings, the Mavericks have outscored the Suns and Nuggets 185-171 over the last six quarters of play, so the team is not without reason for optimism. Dallas continues to take good care of the ball, leading the NBA with a turnover ratio of 11.7 and getting several standout individual performances from its starters. Much was asked of guard Kyrie Irving while the Mavericks were shorthanded, and on Sunday he responded to the challenge with blistering shooting, scoring 43 points on 17 of 22 shooting, including six of his eight 3-point attempts. Kidd criticized the Mavericks’ slow starts, and Dallas can help itself by reversing course and coming out strong. It might be necessary against the Warriors.