Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd made a lineup adjustment on Wednesday, moving veteran guard Klay Thompson to the bench for the game against New Orleans.
Kidd noted that the decision “isn’t a permanent thing,” but it was made to help spark Dallas’ offense, which had been struggling to generate consistent scoring.
As reporter Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News pointed out, this marked the first time Thompson had not started a game since joining the Mavericks.
Thompson, however, took the move in stride and expressed confidence about his role and future performance.
“I don’t mind,” he said when asked about coming off the bench. “I’m going to play. I’m gonna do great things. That’s coming. I know it is.”
Despite the change, Thompson contributed efficiently in the game, posting 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, along with four rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes during Dallas’ narrow two-point loss to the Pelicans.
Reflecting on his slow start to the season, the 35-year-old guard acknowledged that he needed time to find his rhythm.
“I’m feeling like those first five games were hard for me to get my wind and get my legs under me,” Thompson told Townsend.
“Now I’m finally feeling like myself again. And you just know as a shooter, when that ball is just effortlessly flicking off your wrist. You know big things are coming.”
Mavs Notes: Thompson, Flagg, Davis, Lively, Gafford https://t.co/XP0sEktuM2 pic.twitter.com/GUfpNaxv5g
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 6, 2025
