'There's no reason': Klay Thompson makes bold proclamation about Mavericks' defense
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has said "defense wins championships" so much since he traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis that Mavs fans are sick of it. Especially when his belief in what NBA defense looks like in 2025 seems a little outdated.
However, Klay Thompson upholds Harrison's belief that the Mavericks could have an incredible defense this season.
“There’s no reason we can’t be the highest rated defensive team in the NBA,” Thompson said to Christian Clark of
Dallas certainly has a lot of two-way players, especially on the wing: Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Max Christie. And when you throw in Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford, the interior defense should be strong as well.
However, there is reason to be concerned about the starting backcourt and their defensive abilities. Klay Thompson was once an incredible defender, but after an ACL tear in 2019 and an Achilles tear in 2020, he doesn't have the same quickness that he once possessed. He's still smart and good with his hands, but he's probably not best suited to take on guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, Ja Morant, and Devin Booker anymore.
The biggest question about the Mavericks' defense, especially with the starting lineup, is whether the roster's bigger wings can defend other teams' guards. D'Angelo Russell definitely isn't a great defender, and he's slated to start at point guard until Kyrie Irving returns, so that'll be one of the bigger things they need to answer.
For the last five years, the Mavericks had one of the best offensive creators in NBA history in Luka Doncic, so they were a heavy pick-and-roll team to let him make the best decision on every possession. With him gone, the Mavericks have had to revamp the offense, and Thompson talked about that, as well.
"We have to play a different style. We have to play to our strengths. That is cutting off the ball. Playing through our big men," Thompson said. "We understand it can be a different player’s night every night out there. We don’t know who is going to lead the team in scoring. It’s obviously Kyrie and A.D. But until those guys are in the lineup on a consistent basis, it’s going to be someone else’s turn every night.”
A lot of the team's success is going to depend on how quickly Cooper Flagg gets up to speed, assuming he becomes the type of player everyone expects. The team is fully confident in him, and his defensive impact will be felt immediately, but he's probably going to need to average at least 15/5/5 early to keep the team afloat.
Patriots activate Jahlani Tavai, downgrade K’Lavon Chaisson
The New England Patriots activated linebacker Jahlani Tavai off injured reserve on Saturday, and he is expected to make his season debut on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills.
Tavai has been sidelined with a calf injury sustained in June. He briefly attempted to practice at the outset of training camp before being placed on IR and missing the first four games of the season.
Tavia, 29, was New England’s leading tackler last season with a career-best 115 stops. He racked up 110 in 2023.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel indicated Friday that he was excited about getting Tavia back on the field after the latter was listed as questionable on the injury report.
“Versatility. I think he plays with good technique,” Vrabel said, pointing out Tavia’s strengths. “I think he can play multiple spots. I think he’s an instinctive player. I think he sees the field. I think he understands different concepts. He’s a veteran player who’s played in multiple spots.”
Tavia has 424 tackles, 5.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 95 NFL games (60 starts) with the Detroit Lions (2019-20) and Patriots.
New England also downgraded linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) to out on Saturday. Chaisson was listed as questionable on Friday.
Chaisson has nine tackles and 2.5 sacks in four games this season. The 26-year-old is in his first season with the Patriots after playing four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2020-23) and last season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
