It was weird … right?
Klay Thompson in blue, his favorite color, he says, though not the one NBA fans are used to seeing him in. The Golden State white-and-gold are gone, left behind after 13 seasons, six NBA Finals appearances and four championships for a fresh start in Dallas, where Thompson was on Thursday, dropping 22 points in the Mavericks’ season-opening, 120–109 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
“Mavs blue,” said Thompson, “looks good on me.”
In his Dallas debut, Thompson was brilliant. He made six threes, pulled down seven rebounds and had three steals. He finished plus-16, best among the starters. He contributed to a collective defensive effort that held San Antonio (and Victor Wembanyama) to 45.3% shooting and 33.3% from three.
“When we get newcomers, our job is to hopefully get their feet settled,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “And I think you can see his feet are settled and he’s comfortable here and he’s enjoying it.”
Thompson admitted: There were nerves before the game. At the height of the Warriors’ success, he never imagined leaving. But things changed. He missed two full seasons with injuries. When he returned, he was still a good player … he was just no longer a great one. Contentious contract extension talks with Golden State sucked the joy out of the game. He needed to move on, and Dallas—ready with a three-year, $50 million deal—was there to welcome him.
On Tuesday, Thompson rewarded them. Starting alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Thompson fit in seamlessly. For years, Thompson thrived playing off of Stephen Curry, one of the NBA’s top scorers. In Dallas, he has two of them. Thompson got clean looks on his three-point shots. Really clean. In the fourth quarter, after collecting a pass from Doncic, Thompson had time to take a dribble before letting it fly.
“I mean, it’s easy to play with guy like that,” Doncic said. “[He] makes your life easier.”
Splash Bros? 💦 pic.twitter.com/Z9SzUlA9rS
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 25, 2024
In the aftermath of a five-game Finals loss to Boston, the Mavericks needed something. Dallas struggled identifying a reliable third option against the Celtics. As a team, perimeter shooting was a disaster. More experience was required. Thompson wasn’t a player the Mavs wanted. He was one they needed.
If he was Klay Thompson. Thompson put up solid stats over the last two seasons in Golden State, but his efficiency numbers dipped. He was no longer an elite defender. Last February, he was benched in favor of rookie Brandin Podziemski. At 34, with scars still fresh from surgeries on both legs, it was fair to wonder what Thompson had left.
A lot, or at least that’s what it looked like in the opener. Thompson has acknowledged he needed a fresh start. He’s in the right organization for that. His head coach has revived his career in Dallas. His teammate, Irving, who he had memorable battles with during the Warriors-Cavaliers series, has done the same.
Said Thompson, “It makes you grateful to be in the NBA.”
There were concerns that shrinking the lineup with Thompson would negatively impact Dallas’s rebounding. Against supersized San Antonio, the Mavs were competitive (a 52–50 Spurs edge) and held a 17–12 advantage on the offensive glass. There were questions about how a defense that wasn’t very good last season (18th in defensive efficiency) would be playing smaller. While Thompson will never be the defender he was before his ACL and Achilles surgeries, he moved fluidly on Thursday.
“Being a two-way player is probably my greatest joy,” Thompson said. “The players I grew up idolizing were some of the best at that, whether it was Kobe [Bryant], Clyde Drexler. I grew up watching those guys play the two-guard at the highest level and I try to emulate that. And there’s so many ways to affect the game, even when my shot isn’t falling. I’m going to lean on that this season.”
Playing small, Thompson believes, won’t be an issue.
“Kyrie’s been an incredible defender,” Thompson said. “He has insane hands. You watch him handle the ball, same thing when he stabs at the ball and gets steals. He’s got some of the best hands I’ve ever seen. And Luka moves his feet and anticipates the offensive player very well. Just watching him tonight, I don’t think he gets as much credit on that end, but he is incredible on the boards and staying in front of the offensive player. I was very impressed with him.”
It’s one game—emphasis on one there—but Thompson has the look of a missing piece. Dallas knows what it will get from Doncic, an MVP frontrunner who arrived at training camp in terrific shape. Irving remains an offensive force. Dereck Lively II—Sports Illustrated’s preseason pick for Most Improved—racked up 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the opener. Jaden Hardy, a third-year swingman, could have a breakout year.
“This team, the run they made last year, they didn’t fully peak till the most important time of the year,” Thompson said. “So hopefully every week just gets a little better and just gradual improvements. It’s not going to be perfect, but tonight was a good step in the right direction.”
San Antonio is a trendy pick to make a big jump this season, but the Mavs know the Spurs are not who they will be measured up against. It’s Oklahoma City, which battered Denver in its opener. It’s Minnesota, which will be formidable once Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are fully integrated. Eventually, it will be Boston, which followed up an opening night drubbing of New York with a 20-point win over the Wizards.
“Tonight was a great start,” Thompson said. “But I’m not satisfied. We have really big goals.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Klay Thompson Looks Like a Perfect Fit in ‘Mavs Blue’ Debut.
