Despite falling short in the NBA Finals last season against the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks exceeded all expectations, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the team to their first Finals appearance in 13 years. As part of their offseason push to capture a second NBA title, the front office made a splash by signing Klay Thompson.
Irving played a pivotal role in recruiting Thompson from the Golden State Warriors, and during Mavericks media day, he shared just how simple it was to bring the sharpshooter to Dallas.
“If you ask any of us, we feel like we got better as a team,” Irving said. “It’s easy to convince Klay to come here because of what I have experienced thus far in the past year and a half of just being welcomed and embraced.”
Irving added, “This team does a great job of protecting you, not just on the court but off the court. They go out of their way to make sure you feel special. Being here in Dallas gave him an outsider’s view of what it could be like for him.”
Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks Sam Hodde/Getty Images
“I’m excited he decided to come here. I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now. He’s added some great value to our championship aspirations,” he concluded.
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The Mavericks believe one of the reasons they fell short against the Celtics in the Finals was their struggles from beyond the arc. Adding Thompson, despite a slightly down season with the Warriors, brings one of the best 3-point shooters in the league into the fold.
Mavericks’ plans for Thompson differ from the Warriors
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has outlined how the team plans to utilize Thompson in a role distinct from his time with Golden State. Rather than constantly running through screens in the Warriors’ motion-heavy system, Dallas intends to lighten his workload and focus on maximizing his shooting.
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“He’s someone you have to guard closely because he’s going to knock down 40% of his shots. At Golden State, he was always running around and coming off screens. That’s not really our style,” Cuban shared on Roommates Show.
“We’ll run some plays like that for him, but mostly, he’ll be positioned in the corners or on the wings, catching and shooting from Luka [Dončić] and Kyrie [Irving]. Hopefully, it makes his life a lot easier,” he concluded.
