Dallas Mavericks wing Klay Thompson had been the Golden State Warriors starting shooting guard since Mar. 2012.
That stretch was interrupted by untimely and rather significant injuries, Thompson even missing two entire seasons. Still, the five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion built a legacy in the Bay Area. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is rightly regarded as the Warriors’ most essential ingredient. Nonetheless, without Thompson, it’s impossible to say with any confidence that Curry and Golden State would’ve had the same success.
After all, in the two seasons that Thompson missed, the Warriors won 54 total games.
NBA Champion Klay Thompson Proclaims Himself Mavs’ Missing Title Piece
Deciding he needed a fresh start, Thompson left Golden State this offseason. The writing was on the wall long before that. His benching, even if temporary, left a sour taste in his mouth. His moodiness, often captured on camera, was a reflection of his suddenly disquieted spirit. The light behind the happy-go-lucky guy’s eyes was flickering.
When the Warriors didn’t want to meet his contract demands, his fate was sealed. At that point, the question was where he would go next. The Los Angeles Lakers were an attractive option, especially with his father’s history there. However, Thompson chose the Texas plains over the California beaches.
At the time, it was said that the 3-point marksman viewed the Mavs as the better option because they gave him a better chance to win. The familial environment and the way the franchise embraced the embattled Kyrie Irving was another factor. In fact, Irving pitched Thompson himself, becoming Dallas’s most important recruiter.
In His Words
Ahead of Labor Day Weekend, Thompson arrived at the sixth annual Hometown Favorites Camp in California. When asked by qwik11hoops how he believes he’ll fit with the Mavs on the court, it was clear that the 34-year-old has done his homework.
“Me playing with Luka and Kyrie, that’s what was attractive,” Thompson begins, “was seeing how —especially watching that championship this year —I was really shocked to see the chemistry with the teammates.”
Klay Thompson answers question during the Hometown Favorites weekend. “How are you going to fit in the Dallas Mavericks lineup with Luka, Kyrie, and Dereck Lively?” pic.twitter.com/sjwFXoG14z
— qwik11hoops (@qwik11hoops) August 29, 2024
“And at this point in my career, I might not be able to run as fast as I once could or jump as high, but I can still knock down open shots,” he continues. “I think I can be that missing piece for them. The D can’t guard Kyrie and Luka. They can’t send as many double-teams. They gotta worry about playing backside and wide open looks.”
Help Me Help You
Thompson has a terrific sense of how he helps offensively, as teams are loath to leave him open. As a result, coaches will be more hesitant to send double-teams at Irving and Luka Doncic. This obviously helps both Irving and Doncic, two of the better isolation scorers in the NBA. Yet, their scoring gravity also helps Thompson.
Aside from the Kevin Durant years, the only scorers the Warriors opponents truly feared were the Splash Brothers. Yet, both Curry and Thompson were more dialed in outside the arc than trying to work their way in it. This is a significantly different than how the Mavs operate, with Irving and Doncic constantly probing the paint. So, because defenses are more likely to converge around his new star teammates inside the arc, there may be more and easier 3-point opportunities for him.
Thompson has also considered how the play of their bigs will affect his performance.
The Mavs have two particularly effective big men: Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Both are highly energetic and hyper-efficient while having sturdy builds. Thompson played beside a somewhat similar player in Kevon Looney, but Gafford and Lively are bigger and better. Accordingly, he sees his 3-point gravity and their interior gravity helping them get each other clean looks.
“…Their lineup defensively was also super attractive. (Daniel) Gafford. They’re so good at catching lobs, finishing at the rim. When you see a big man coming setting a screen —when they come set a screen for me —the defense has to come out, and when they’re at the 3, that will create a mismatch for the big man. And I hope I can be right there and take all those shots from the perimeter.”
Thompson has definitely thought his decision through. There were reasons outside of basketball that led him to where he is today. However, what he can do with the Mavs inside of the arena played just as big a part.
“I think we have a chance to do something really special,” the future Hall of Famer says, “and win a championship.”
