DALLAS — After the shortest offseason in years, the Dallas Mavericks’ road to a return trip to the NBA Finals gets underway in a matter of weeks. For a team that looked to be at a crossroads heading into training camp just a year ago before they ran through the Western Conference in the playoffs, the vibes are immaculate and even more so after a fruitful restocking over the summer.
On the strength of an MVP-caliber season for guard Luka Doncic, and a comeback campaign for Kyrie Irving, Dallas reached the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2010-2011 championship.
Now the hard part is getting those final few wins to help Doncic and company hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy for his first time and just the second time ever in franchise history. To do so, Dallas signed a rare marquee free agent addition when five-time All-Star, and four-time NBA champion, Klay Thompson joined the team.
For Dallas, Thompson choosing to leave the Golden State Warriors, and picking them over the Los Angeles Lakers, was validation of their swift turnaround in team culture and their standing among the league’s best teams. Thompson chose the Mavs because he thought he had a stronger chance to win another championship in Dallas rather than in Los Angeles or with other suitors.
With the NBA having a higher amount of roster turnover among the major sports leagues, it is easy to forget that Thompson had been a constant with Golden State. After being drafted No. 11 overall by the Warriors, just days after Dirk Nowitzki and company won Dallas’ lone championship in 2011, Thompson had remained with Golden State over the past 13 years, claiming five All-Star game nods and two All-NBA team appearances.
Several of those years were heavily impacted by injuries as we entered this decade, however, Thompson is still just one season removed from a 22-points-per-game average. Now with Dallas, Klay slides into the starting lineup as a small forward who instantly becomes the de facto marksman. He also instantly becomes the Maverick's best free-throw shooter on day one after a career-high rate of 93% last season.
With Dallas, Thompson perhaps sees fulfillment in appreciation and need, which pried him away from the only team he’s ever known. It’s easy to see the swingman envisioning how his game could put Dallas over the top against the league’s elite teams. With two All-NBA guards getting to play off one of the league’s all-time best shooters, the matchups could be a nightmare for the rest of the league.
For Doncic, Thompson represents the best shooter that he’s had to wait for a pass in Dallas since his rookie year when Dirk was passing the torch. The 2024-2025 season will likely see Luka eclipse the 10 assists per game mark that he has been flirting with and Thompson could be a big reason why.
Doncic also had the best three-point average of his career to date last season at 38%. Crossing the 40% mark is on the table with the attention that will now be distributed through the deep Dallas lineup.
Irving’s 2023-2024 season showed the promise that the Mavs were hoping for when they brought him aboard two summers ago. Able to take over any game, the luxury of adding a sniper for a kick out when Irving or Doncic are double-teamed will see their shot selection trend positively.
In addition, Irving and Thompson working together for a redemption title after facing off in the Finals three times last decade is quite the script from the NBA writers.
In his prime years, the Warrior's tertiary options would have carte blanche as Curry and Thompson demanded all the attention. Now on older, surgically repaired legs, the constant ball movement asked of from years past will be supplanted by Kyrie and Luka wreaking havoc on opposing defenses as they decide between their own playmaking, lob threats inside, or Thompson from deep.
As good as the Mavs were during their Finals run, their third-option scoring was largely by committee, with the passes dumped inside to centers Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford often their highest percentage option.
Essentially swapping out Tim Hardaway Jr, who was largely unplayable beyond the first half last season, and adding Thompson in his place could make the Dallas offense the deepest that it has been in the Doncic era.
Hardaway made $18 million in his final season in Dallas, averaging 7.6 three-point attempts and hitting at a 35% clip. Thompson now slides in at a tad bit under that salary with a 41% career average from deep, never being under 38% in his entire career.
With a dependable shooter flanking the two Dallas guards, Thompson has the opportunity to feast with the potential to be a Comeback Player of the Year with opposing defenses given the unpleasant task of picking their poison.
Do you think Klay Thompson is primed for a big season in his first year in Dallas? Share your thoughts with Irvin on X (formerly Twitter) @Twittirv.
