Much has been said and written about the decline of Klay Thompson. It might be evident that Thompson is no longer the player he once was back in his heyday with the Golden State Warriors, but that doesn't mean that he can no longer contribute on the court. The Dallas Mavericks showed faith in Thompson's ability to remain a productive player, and during the first day of training camp, it seems like the veteran sharpshooter is well on his way to changing the Mavs' offense for the better.
The Mavericks' official account on X posted a video of Thompson going through shooting drills. And as expected, Thompson was locked in, showcasing his silky-smooth jumpshot.
Of course, it's important to note that Thompson is doing this in an empty gym; this is no slight at all to the 34-year-old guard, but NBA players are simply built different under these conditions. They rarely, if ever, miss these kinds of warm-up shots, and this elite level of shot-making is what separates the professionals from mere mortals.
But it's not like the Mavericks are expecting Thompson to never miss his shots. Perfection is never the expectation, even in professional sports. What the Mavs need from Thompson is consistent floor-spacing, and in a smaller role compared to the one he had on the Warriors, it's not as if his off-nights will be as magnified as they were.
Nonetheless, it's a good sign for Mavericks fans to see Thompson doing damage in the first day of training camp. This means that Thompson is locked in for the upcoming season, prepared to do whatever is necessary to get the reigning NBA Finals runner-up over the hump. His skillset makes him the ideal piece to have alongside the ball-dominant Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and him being automatic in practice only serves to instill confidence in what he can bring for his upcoming seasons in Dallas.
The Mavericks are ready to build upon last season
The Mavericks made it all the way to the 2024 NBA Finals last year after embracing a defense-first identity alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They built a roster geared towards doing the dirty work, which allowed Doncic and Irving to focus on doing the heavy lifting on the offensive end of the court.
Alas, the ceiling of the team ended up being capped. It boiled down to whether or not the Mavericks' role players could hit open shots in the NBA Finals, and they did not make enough to threaten the Boston Celtics. Thus, they decided to bring Klay Thompson in; Thompson, even in his older age, cannot be left open from beyond the arc, unlike Derrick Jones Jr., who doesn't have that much gravity from the perimeter.
Perhaps Thompson is a steep defensive downgrade from Jones; Jones embraced the challenge of guarding Paul George, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown, a task that may be too much for Thompson these days. But the Mavericks will make life on offense easy for Thompson, which could free up some energy for the 34-year-old guard to expend on the defensive end.
The Mavericks signed Naji Marshall anyway as the de facto Jones replacement, so in the event of needing more help guarding the perimeter, the Mavs have the personnel to deal with any opponent.
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