In his first official press conference as a Maverick, legendary NBA shooting guard Klay Thompson got real on the expectations for his first year with his new team. Klay says that he’ll have to adjust to Luka Doncic and that the call to alleviate the pressure from Luka was what lured him to Dallas in the first place.
“It adds a whole new dimension to our team, having a player like me who can draw the defense just be cutting through the lane or using an off-ball screen to take two defenders with me,” said Klay in the press conference. “I know I’ll obviously have to adjust to Luka. Luka is the system, he’s an MVP front runner and that’s a huge reason why I came here, was to help alleviate some of the pressure he deals with on a nightly basis.”
The Dallas Mavericks won the championship in 2011 but they have yet to make a championship run in the Luka Doncic era. The furthest they’ve been is the NBA Finals and the team is committed to breaking that record and maximizing Luka’s title window. This offseason, their biggest move was signing Klay Thompson.
Thompson spent the past 11 years with the Warriors as Stephen Curry’s right-hand man. As the key piece to a dynasty, Thompson was revered and celebrated by the franchise until things started to fall apart a few years back.
As the Warriors struggled to win games, Klay’s role gradually declined until he was moved to a bench role in favor of Brandin Podziemski. After an all-around miserable season for Klay, he decided to leave behind the Warriors this summer run order to pursue a fresh start with a brand-new team.
With the Mavericks, Thompson will be playing behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and it will be uncharted territory. Still, with his shooting ability and reputation from beyond the arc, Klay should serve an important role on the court as a floor spacer and shot-maker alongside two of the NBA’s best isolation scorers.
Besides his shooting, Thompson brings four years of championship experience which will help him fill whatever role he needs to maximize the Mavericks’ title chances. Fresh off a run to the West Finals, it shouldn’t take much more for them to reach the height of their potential but it will take a solid performance from Klay for them to have a breakthrough.
At 34 years old and with two major injuries under his belt, nobody knows how much Klay has left in the tank. But with averages of 17.9 points and 3.3 rebounds last season, it may be more than enough for the Mavericks to accomplish their goals.
At just 25 years old, Luka Doncic is the future and the now for the Mavericks franchise and the front office is committed to doing whatever it takes to get him the pieces he needs to win a title. All that’s left for him to do is lead the way and set the tone for his teammates to follow.
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