The Mavericks and Klay Thompson seem a match made in heaven.
Solely every week into his Mavericks profession, Thompson is already rewriting the historical past books. The veteran sharpshooter has drained 15 threes via his first three video games, a file for many long-range pictures by a participant with a brand new workforce.
Throughout Monday’s 110-102 win over the Jazz, Thompson made 4 of his workforce’s 11 threes, lower than 48 hours after making 5 of Dallas’ 13 threes in opposition to the Suns. Primarily, he’s liable for almost 40 % of the workforce’s long-range pictures via the primary week.
One of many greatest variations for Thompson in a Mavs uniform is he now not must run round down screens and flare screens, like he did with the Warriors, to hunt for open pictures. Since Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are grasp dribble-penetrators, their gravity creates a ton of house for Thompson to easily select his spots and knock down threes. This easy formulation additionally helps him preserve his legs, maintaining him brisker within the fourth quarter.
After his 22-point debut in opposition to the Spurs final week, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike did an incredible job of breaking down the fruits Thompson stands to reap in a Mavericks uniform.
“Six for eight in catch-and-shoot threes. This isn’t the Warriors Klay that needed to run round and achieve this a lot,” Ogwumike said. “That is the man who simply has to house the ground. That is why when individuals mentioned, ‘Oh Dallas, is there the place you selected to go?’ Klay knew precisely what he was pondering.”
If we roll again the tape to Thompson’s final game as a Warrior — the play-in loss to the Kings on April 16 — he obtained solely two catch-and-shoot tries via 10 area aim makes an attempt. He went 0-for-10 in what marked a really anticlimactic finish to his Warriors profession.
In a Dallas uniform, although, it is catch-and-shoot galore. The prospect of one of many biggest snipers in historical past getting these sort of seems and settling into this ultimate function is certainly a scary proposition for the remainder of the NBA.
