Tuesday will mark Klay Thompson's return to Golden State, as his Mavericks take on the Warriors. After a down season the year prior, Thompson signed with the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract. On the Hoop Collective, ESPN's Tim MacMahon explained how Thompson is drawing inspiration from a Hall-of-Famer, Scottie Pippen.
“He brought it up when he first got here, and I asked about it again,” MacMahon said. “Scottie Pippen going to the (Portland) Trail Blazers. He was living in Portland as a kid at the time and he said it was one of the best days of his life. The Trail Blazers didn’t win a title but (Scottie) was three minutes away from the (NBA) Finals as he said.
“He was 34, same as Klay now, and I mentioned it because Scottie Pippen’s success in Portland is something that Klay pointed to as an inspiration to him. I said ‘Well, can you kind of relate to the way things ended with him in Chicago' and he was like ‘I can’t say that, not to that degree is what he said. Again, I think he doesn’t want to express any kind of bitterness publicly.”
How can Klay Thompson continue to fill that Scottie Pippen role with the Mavericks?
When Thompson signed, his teammate, Stephen Curry expressed his adoration and respect for his running mate. On the other hand, Warriors forward Draymond Green had mixed emotions. Green described Thompson's departure as a stain on his career. However, he also mentioned running into his chest when they face off.
For both teams, they're on opposite trajectories. The Warriors are 8-2 and the Mavericks are 5-5. Thompson himself is struggling too averaging only 13.8 points per game but these numbers were expected to dip at his age of 34 and being the third option behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He's shooting 35.4% from three-point land, the lowest of his career as well.
Despite the numbers being lower than usual, he has the championship DNA. Although Irving does as well, Thompson understands what his role is. Being a lethal shooter and locking up players is what Dallas needs. Also, it's a new system for the former Splash brother, after playing under Steve Kerr for nearly the last 10 seasons.
With Tuesday's game, there'll likely be more focus, bitterness, and determination to beat his former team. After Green's comments, that might've added fuel to Thompson's fire. Regardless, he might transform into the No. 1 option in a possible revenge game for the four-time NBA champion.
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