The Dallas Mavericks are hoping Klay Thompson – a four-time NBA champion – will be the key addition to helping win the championship this season.
Thompson arrived this summer as one of the Mavericks’ marquee free-agent signings, signing from the Golden State Warriors.
Kyrie Irving, a star in Texas, was key in helping recruit the 34-year-old and believes this is his team’s time to make a statement.
Irving highlighted how valuable Thompson’s championship pedigree will be for a Mavericks team that fell short in last year’s NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Boston Celtics.
While Thompson is now 34 and has battled through significant injuries, his elite 3-point shooting remains a huge factor in elevating the team.
Irving said: “I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now.
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— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 30, 2024
“He’s added a great value to our championship aspirations.”
The Mavericks struggled from beyond the arc in the Finals, shooting just 31.6% from long range.
In contrast, Thompson has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 41.3% and made 38.7% of his nine attempts per game last season.
He ranks sixth all-time in NBA history with 2,481 made threes.
Luke Doncic added: “When me and Kai [Irving], when we have the ball, you basically can’t help off of Klay.
“Because if you leave him wide open, he’s going to make it.
“So I think the spacing is going to be crucial for us, but more of that, I will tell you after a couple games.”
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— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 30, 2024
Adapting to a new system
Thompson believes his style of play is a natural fit for the Mavericks’ roster.
However, he recognises that adjusting to Dallas’ system, which heavily relies on Doncic’s pick-and-roll power, will require some getting used to.
He said: “From an X’s and O’s standpoint, I’ll have to adjust to maybe playing off such good creators.
“In Golden State, it was very motion-based offense. But I mean, just being able to play with Luka the last few days, his ability in the pick-and-roll is maybe the best I’ve ever seen.
“It’ll be fun to play with him in those sets because he draws so much attention and he gets so many open looks for the perimeter. So I’ll be there to knock them down.
“It’s a big motivation.” – @luka7doncic 😤@ATT | #MFFL #MavsMediaDay pic.twitter.com/YNOdA0KFyr
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 30, 2024
“I think it will take a couple weeks just to get used to this new system.
“But luckily opening night is not until [October 24].
“So this preseason might be the most important one I’ve had in so many years, and I can’t wait to get going tomorrow and learn this system.
“But I do know I’m a hooper, so I can adjust accordingly, and I look forward to doing that.”
