Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Klay Thompson believes his team can win the NBA championship when Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in his left knee last March, returns to the court.
Thompson made his remarks during the Mavericks’ media day on Monday.
The 33-year-old Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds last season. He’s a nine-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA player who helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA championship.
Clearly, having Irving back in the mix will help the Mavs. The question is when he’ll return, but that’s unknown right now.
Irving spoke on his rehab at media day (h/t Tim Cato of DLLS Sports).
“I’m figuring out what I can do to push myself to where I need to be,” Irving said. “I’ve made that statement clear that I’m trying to be better than I was, which is a hard task. I felt like I was in a great rhythm before I got injured. I felt like I was able to play 40-plus minutes per night with no problem. … It was more of the mental approach that I’m trying to get back to, that my talent and my skill will catch back over time as I continue to play against the best players in the world.
“Just don’t pay attention to putting yourself in a position to put a date out there (to return). And if you don’t make that date, then what happens? You’re in here answering questions, like, ‘It was pushed back.’ I’d rather just let it be where it is.”
Right now, FanDuel Sportsbook lists Dallas 14th on the NBA championship odds ledger at 40-1. Dallas’ biggest problem toward winning the NBA Finals is a loaded Western Conference, which features the favorite to win the title (the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder).
Other potential powerhouses include the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, all of whom have shorter odds to win the championship.
The Mavs, of course, have a star big man in Anthony Davis and a star rookie in No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. They are surrounded by good talents including Thompson, big man Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington, among others.
When Irving gets back, the Mavs will be a formidable threat. They’ll still face a tough climb to get to the mountaintop, but Dallas does look like a playoff team on paper. From there, who knows what might happen, but for now, the Mavs look forward to their season opener on Oct. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs.
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