This goal has been reinforced with the arrival of Klay Thompson, a standout player who won four championships with the Golden State Warriors and who joined the Mavs as a free agent this summer. The Mavericks hope that Thompson will be the key missing piece in their championship puzzle.
Kyrie Irving, Doncic’s teammate, also highlighted the importance of Thompson in this new chapter. “I feel like our dreams are possible now that he’s here,” said Irving, who played a key role in negotiating to bring in Thompson, his teammate on the U.S. national team. Although Thompson is 34 years old and suffers from a history of injuries, his experience and three-point shooting ability are considered a great addition to the team’s aspirations.
The need for a long-range shooter became apparent for the Mavericks, who performed poorly in the NBA Finals, shooting just 31.6% from three. Thompson, with a percentage of 41.3% throughout his career and currently ranked sixth on the all-time list of three-pointers made, represents the ideal solution to this issue. Doncic happily shared that Thompson’s presence on the court will improve the playing space, which is crucial for the team’s offense.
Thompson, for his part, acknowledged that his style of play will be forced to adapt to the Mavericks’ system, which is different from what he was used to in Golden State. Mentioning his experience in the pick-and-roll with Doncic, he emphasized how exciting it will be to play alongside him and how he plans to contribute to the offense. “I’m a player and I can adjust,” he declared, anticipating that the weeks prior to the start of the season will be crucial to adapt to the new system. The season will officially begin on October 24.
