The Dallas Mavericks cruised to a comfortable 109-84 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in one of the last preseason games before the 2024-2025 regular season tips off on October 22. While Luka Doncic sat out with a calf contusion, his on-court partner Kyrie Irving played 19 minutes and put up 14 points. Meanwhile, the Mavericks' latest addition Klay Thompson scored 11 points in 18 minutes, including a trio of three-point makes in the first half, leading WNBA legend Candace Parker to comment on NBA TV.

“Klay Thompson is gonna Klay Thompson,” Parker said on NBA TV's Game Time, as shared on X, formerly Twitter, referencing the team's green light for the ex-Splash Bro to keep shooting.

The Mavericks get a Splash Brother

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) shoots during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at American Airlines Center.
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

While the Mavericks new trio of Thompson, Doncic, and Irving didn't see the floor together, Thompson's three-point shooting proved why he could fit into any team. Despite his fall-off on defense, he can still find the bottom of the bucket, and the Mavs hope his championship pedigree rubs off onto the rest of the team.

At this point of his career, Klay is a serviceable catch-and-shoot threat whom the Mavs don't need to design plays for. He can also stretch the floor, allowing Luka and Kyrie to drive into the paint and go to work.

Meanwhile, Thompson isn't the defensive menace he once was, but he isn't exactly a defensive liability. Problems only arise when he doesn't shoot well and he doesn't give anything on the other end.

In his last playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Thompson scored 30 points in Game 2 but went quiet ever since, despite playing heavy minutes.

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His disappearing act on both sides of the ball contributed to the Warriors' elimination in six games, as Klay scored only eight points on 3-19 shooting, going 2-12 from three.

Moreover, his lackluster play forced Stephen Curry to try carrying the team by himself, especially since the Warriors benched Jordan Poole for fizzling out in the same series.

The Mavericks hope that a change of scenery would do wonders for Klay Thompson, while following Candace Parker's comments to just let him cook as early as the preseason.

While he only shot 36.4% from the field against a Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, he did make 42.9% of his threes, and that might be the stat that matters for him.

Can Klay actually help?

However, adding Thompson might not be enough to get the Mavericks over the hump against teams like the Celtics, whose roster of tall and lengthy defenders can crowd him or run him off the three-point line.

Moreover, they know that taking away Thompson's shooting neutralizes him, and the Mavs can't afford to have opponents play him off the court in the playoffs if they want to see the Finals again.