Klay Thompson (Mavericks uniform) with stars in his eyes looking at Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic
The Dallas Mavericks were one of the best stories in the NBA last season. Their moves at the trade deadline along with the blossoming synergy between Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving allowed them to make a run all the way to the NBA Finals. While they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics, Dallas is now firmly entrenched as a legit title contender. That is especially so after Dallas acquired Klay Thompson.
Feb 12, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and forward Draymond Green (23) celebrate a basket and a foul against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY SportsThere has been a lot of noise regarding Klay Thompson and his game after suffering those two devastating leg injuries in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Yes, he is not the lockdown defender he once was, nor is the best shot creator. But he is still deadly as a shooter. Thompson shot 38.7% from three on nine deep attempts per game, and that is still the second-worst 3-point shooting percentage he has posted in a season in his career.
Thompson remains not only a lethal shooters in the NBA but also one of the best catch-and-shoot jumpers. He was one of three players in the NBA to take over seven such shots per game along with Lauri Markkanen and Donte DiVincenzo. Thompson shot 38.1% on those types of looks and ranked 10th in the NBA among players with at least five catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game in 2023-24.
While there are questions as to what Thompson’s role defensively will be or how well he can perform on that end at this stage of his career, his shooting will be a major boom for Dallas. The Celtics routinely played off of non-shooters like Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green to protect the rim. That especially made life difficult for Doncic and Irving.