Klay Thompson is no longer the player he used to be, but the expression of his overall decline has been greatly exaggerated.
Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season on high-volume 38% 3-point shooting. However, he can be a major asset under the right conditions, and it appears he has discovered that opportunity with the Dallas Mavericks.
In his first game as a Maverick, Thompson, 34, had 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes in Dallas’ season-opening 120-109 victory over the Spurs on Thursday night. In the process, he made six three-pointers, a Mavericks list for a player making his franchise debut. He didn’t dedicate a single post. He defended.
Thompson’s first basket came on a pull-up, pump-and-go jumper against a closeout, which will look very bad with all the downhill attention Luka Doncic attracts, forcing defenders to scramble back for shooters.
A while later, Thompson hit his first 3-pointer, just a blind shot from the corner that nearly faded out of bounds.
This Luka-Klay chemistry will be very special. Doncic always has his sights and antennas up, and attracts so much attention that Thompson manages to sneak into a lot of leisure spaces. Here Luka sees Klay trailing in transition and rise.
Thompson may not perform like he once did, but the rapid fall from status is still as lethal as ever. Here the center cleverly crosses out of his shooting range and still flows into a rhythmic and perfectly formed three-pointer.
That’s the kind of shot Thompson will have to hit all season long. This one was contested and he’s clearly still in position to make them, but the point is that he’s no longer committed to having to be in as consistent a motion as he used to be with the Warriors.
I remember talking to Allan Houston a few years ago about how easy it is to catch the ball and shoot off a dead board, something Thompson used to master during his days at Yellowstone. He can still do that here and there, but in Dallas he’s committing to a more consistent desk-look vitamin with the downhill consideration that Doncic and Kyrie Irving attract.
Look at how much life Thompson has to sequence this as some defenders gravitate toward Doncic, who knew he was in the second he came off Thompson’s hand.
The same thing happened here as a struggling defender lunges at Doncic, who makes a direct pass to a wide-open Thompson, who has his toes poised and all his life on the ground to knock down his franchise-record sixth debut. . 3 pointers.
This is a new week for Thompson, who has always vowed to stay true to aspects of his former self while in the Yellowish Climate. With the Mavericks, it’s easier to like him for what he can still do rather than lament him for the parts of his game that pale. Excellent for him.
Not every night the time is going to pass so well. Because Thompson is older, he tends to combine a lot of more really sinful performances, with a lot of really great ones that keep the averages intact. Don’t be surprised if Thompson throws a 2-for-12 night on 3-for-3 at the pace then or thereabouts. It’s not a topic. This Mavs staff has enough firepower to protect Thompson’s off nights. It is when it is, like Thursday, that Dallas can move on to any other stage.
