In response to big men Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford going down with injuries, the Dallas Mavericks have been forced to roll out smaller lineups than usual. In fact, Thompson, along with fellow forward Kessler Edwards, was the tallest player, at 6'7", in the starting lineup for Dallas's 133-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
Thompson, speaking to reporters after the game, joked that the Mavericks' small-ball lineups made him feel like he was playing high school basketball again. The veteran sharpshooter also came up with a catchy motto to counteract any concerns about the team's current size disadvantage.
"High school ... That's what it feels like sometimes, because we're so small," Thompson said, via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. "But we've got a lot of heart. Heart over height, you know?"
Klay Thompson says Mavs small lineups feel like HS basketball sometimes, “but we’ve got heart. Heart over height, you know?” pic.twitter.com/sXazfxqd80
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) March 11, 2025
Despite their lack of size, the Mavericks actually out-rebounded the Spurs 40-38, and showed a lot of the heart Thompson was referring to in a thrilling comeback victory on the road.
Aside from a lack of size, the Mavericks have also been dealing with, well, a lack of healthy players. In Sunday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Mavericks had only seven players available during the fourth quarter. The bevy of injuries comes as the team is already under a heavy media microscope after the stunning blockbuster trade of five-time All-Star Luka Doncic in February.
But despite the seeming chaos surrounding the team, Thompson is keeping a cool head.
"You still get to do what you love,” Thompson said, via The Athletic. "It’s just another opportunity to show what you can do. That’s probably the toughest part ... Not feeling sorry for yourself and realizing we have a job to do. This is the best job. It’s great, honestly."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Klay Thompson Had Catchy New Motto to Describe Mavericks' Small-Ball Lineup.
