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Is adding Klay Thompson to create a ‘Big Three’ what the Mavericks need to win a title?

Each member of the new All-Star trio is capable of scoring at least 25 points on any given night, which makes Dallas a lethal offensive team.

LAS VEGAS — On a hot and dry Tuesday morning in a gym on UNLV’s campus, Luka Doncic is playfully launching rainbow 3-pointers on one basket. Klay Thompson is shooting on one directly behind him while offering advice to anyone who asked. Across the main court, Kyrie Irving is exchanging pleasantries with Mavericks assistant coaches.

It’s the first day of training camp, but notably the first official day of work for the All-Star trio Dallas hopes can finish what last season’s Mavericks started.

It’s fitting that Dallas lost to the Boston Celtics – the architects of the modern version of team building with multiple All-Stars. While the Mavericks said the offseason plan was to rely on internal growth and tinker around the roster’s edges for improvement, they made one of the splashes of the summer by acquiring Thompson in the first six-team trade in NBA history.

But is Thompson the final piece the Mavericks needed to complete a “Big Three” superteam that will seal the deal and win a championship?

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Doncic is coming off a historic season that resulted in his fifth straight All-NBA honor and All-Star appearance, his first scoring title and a third-place MVP finish. Irving, who remains one of the most skilled offensive players in the league, is a three-time All-NBA player and has eight All-Star games under his belt, most recently in 2023.

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Thompson, a four-time champion and five-time NBA All-Star, brings a Hall of Fame resume and another scoring threat that could have helped the Western Conference champions in June. Two major leg injuries and his age (34) have led to questions about his capabilities on defense, which he refers to as a “notion” he wants to dispel.

Still, all three players are capable of scoring at least 25 points on any given night, which makes the Mavericks a lethal offensive team.

Head coach Jason Kidd was once part of a Big Three in New Jersey with Richard Jefferson and newly inducted Hall of Fame guard Vince Carter. Despite two Finals appearances, Kidd didn’t win his first championship until he re-joined the Mavericks and teamed up with Dirk Nowitzki, who was still in the prime of his career.

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With the support of budding All-Star Tyson Chandler, former All-Star Shawn Marion and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jason Terry, Dallas defeated Miami’s Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

“When you look at championship teams, they tend to have more than one star,” Kidd said after a recent practice. “Our past champion in the Boston Celtics, you would say they have more than one star. There are different ways to go about it, different builds.”

Kidd referred to Oklahoma City’s multiple iterations of a Big Three, such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, and now Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

“Now they’re back in that same seat,” Kidd said. “When you look at the build of our Big Three, it’s just come at different times in their career.”

No preseason, no problem?

At the start of training camp, Irving chuckled as he reflected on his reaction to discovering he would be teammates with Thompson, whose Golden State Warriors defeated him and the Cleveland Cavaliers in two out of three NBA Finals from 2015-17.

“I was letting you guys, the media, give the excitement of what you guys thought of us all of a sudden becoming a Big Three now, between me, Luka and Klay,” Irving said at Media Day last month. “I think if you ask any of us, we got better as a team.”

Doncic and Irving spent the last season and a half establishing chemistry with each other on and off the court. Dallas failed to make the playoffs after the first two months of the Doncic-Irving pairing, raising questions about their compatibility. They spent the last season and a half establishing their chemistry on and off the court, resulting in the Mavericks’ first run to the NBA Finals in 13 seasons.

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Adding Thompson to the equation should be a seamless transition that helps the Mavericks address their need for a third scorer. The 14-year veteran thrives in catch-and-shoot situations, which should complement the ball-dominant playing styles of Doncic and Irving.

But outside of the franchise, no one has seen how the new trio looks on the court. Doncic missed the bulk of training camp and the entire preseason because of a left calf contusion. Irving thrived alongside Thompson in two exhibition games. On the other hand, Thompson couldn’t catch a rhythm on offense until the second quarter of Thursday’s preseason finale against Milwaukee, when he made back-to-back 3-pointers.

The lack of preseason reps could concern teams trying to integrate new players, but Thompson said he isn’t worried about his fit with Doncic.

“I think we’ll be great,” he said Thursday. “A huge reason why I’m here is because of Luka and the chance to play with him. With a week ahead, we’ll have time to build chemistry. He’s such a great player. I don’t think he needs much time to get acclimated to new teammates. He’s elevated everybody’s game since he’s been in the NBA.”

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Championship teams often use the word sacrifice, especially in recent history. The 2008 Celtics, led by a Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, had to sacrifice individual success for the greater good of a championship. The Heatles – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – captured two titles during their four-year run.

Irving’s two previous Big Three experiments have been on both sides of the coin. He won his lone title alongside James and Kevin Love, but couldn’t find the same success as a member of the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant and James Harden.

“When you talk about teams that have been successful, it’s sacrifice or being unselfish,” Kidd said. “Those are the two things that you’ll hear past champions or future champions talk about – being able to sacrifice or being unselfish. … That’s what it takes to win. You have to be unselfish and you have to sacrifice.

“Everyone believes they can score 25+ and have the ball 99% of the time and they’re going to win. Sometimes you have to give up a little of that to give a little more on the defensive end. I think that’s what it comes down to if you really want to win a championship.”

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Thompson was part of the league’s most recent dynasty with the Warriors, as part of a Big Four alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Durant. Four championships in eight years required each player, from the stars to the reserves, to play his role.

Thompson’s role changed once Durant joined the Warriors in 2016. Instead of being the second option on offense, he became the third option behind Curry and Durant. He’ll have to make a similar adjustment with the Mavericks behind Doncic and Irving.

“We obviously know who the guys are that are going to bring us there,” Thompson said, “but it’s up to everybody else like myself to define our role and see what we can do to help this team win as many games as possible. We’re lucky to have two superstars in Kai and Luka. We’re lucky to have great depth. Just defining roles is what really helps teams reach their peak.”

The others make a difference, too

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Every championship team is as good as the sum of its parts.

The Celtics defeated the Mavericks in June not only because of their superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, but also because they had reliable role players, such as Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.

The Mavericks have praised the depth of their roster throughout training camp. Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dante Exum are next in the pecking order of guards behind Doncic and Irving. Versatile wings Grimes and Naji Marshall, along with Olivier Maxence Prosper, round out the forward depth behind Thompson and P.J. Washington. Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell make up the team’s big man unit.

Dinwiddie said this could be the most talented team on which he’s played.

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“You got an MVP. You got one of the great clutch performers in history,” he said. “You got a top two or three shooter in history, depending upon how you feel about Ray Allen. You got probably the best tandem, big-man lineup in terms of lob threat and rim protection in the league. ... It’s dope to see.”

The first step of Dallas’ journey begins Thursday in the opener against the San Antonio Spurs. The pieces are in place for another deep postseason run, but the ceiling and expectations have been raised. The bar is higher for a team that was the best in the Western Conference last season and has assembled a Big Three and core of role players who won’t be satisfied with second best.

“Championship, that’s the goal,” Doncic said.

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