With Klay Thompson’s shooting, Mavericks believe their NBA title ‘dreams can be possible’ (2024)

DALLAS — Stripping away all the intricacies of an NBA Finals, from the X’s and O’s to the matchups of stars to the chess game between coaches and even the sideshow of Kyrie Irving playing against his former team, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd suggested Monday that his team lost to the Boston Celtics because of poor shooting.

“And to add Klay (Thompson), Klay can shoot,” Kidd said, connecting what happened to the Mavericks in June to what they all believe is possible now after making one of the league’s juiciest offseason additions.

After losing 4-1 to the Celtics in a championship series in which the Mavericks shot just 46 percent from the field and a shaky 32 percent from 3-point range (it was much worse than that early in the series when the Mavericks were busy falling behind, 3-0), Dallas added one of the greatest shooters of all time in Thompson, prying him out of Golden State where he earned his legacy and won four titles as a pillar of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty.

As the Mavs appeared, one by one, in front of assembled media Monday in Dallas, they had no trouble declaring how they thought Thompson could change their fortunes in another finals.

“I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now,” Irving said.

Thompson, 34, joined the Mavs on a three-year, $50 million contract as part of a six-team sign-and-trade deal after 13 seasons, five All-Star appearances and six finals trips with the Warriors. He is a career 41-percent shooter from 3-point range, owns the fourth-most 3s in NBA history and as recently as 2023 led the league in 3s in a single season.

But Thompson’s last year with the Warriors was nothing like what he was used to in the Bay Area. He fell out of coach Steve Kerr’s starting lineup and was on the bench during crunch time at the end of several games. Thompson’s 38.7 shooting percentage from 3-point range was the second lowest of his career, and his 17.9-point scoring average was his lowest since 2012-13.

Those were the circumstances behind Thompson looking for the fresh start often cited last summer when he chose to leave Golden State for the Mavericks. But on Monday, Thompson said watching the finals and seeing how close Dallas was to a title was “why I was here in the first place,” with “the opportunity to do that again.” His new teammates and coach made clear they viewed him as the same ol’ Klay, capable of doing for them what he did for so many years playing alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and, for a time, Kevin Durant.

“Pfft, unbelievable,” said a trim-looking Luka Dončić, fresh off a season in which he was the Western Conference finals MVP. “He’s a four-time champion, an amazing player. … I think the spacing is going to be perfect for us.”

Irving said the Mavs now have a big three — counting him, Dončić, and Thompson — and said “I think if you ask any of us, we feel like we got better as a team.”

Kidd, offering his assessment of the finals loss to Boston, said, “when you look at the things that we could have done differently on offense we could have shot the ball better.” And then as he transitioned to the Thompson acquisition, he said, “Every time he lets it go, it looks like it’s going in, and if he does miss one, it just adds to the percentage of will he make the next one? And we haven’t had that here for a while.”

Mentioning Thompson next to Jason Terry, a former teammate of Kidd’s when he played for the Mavericks and won a championship in Dallas in 2011, Kidd said, “This is rare air when we talk about Klay.” He said Mavericks big men, including Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, should buy Thompson a “Christmas gift” because of the vertical spacing (read, air space for dunks) he will create for them.

“He is going to go down as one of the best shooters of all time, and to have him on our side, it just makes the game offensively easier,” Kidd said. “When you look at a team that can make the game easy, Boston, ourselves, those are the ones that can win championships.”

When those comments were repeated to him — Thompson was among the last of the Mavericks’ players to speak Monday — he was visibly appreciative and perhaps humbled by what he heard.

“It means a lot,” Thompson said. “It gives me confidence to keep working hard and be myself. … It really means a lot that they believe those things, because I do too and I am excited to get to work.”

The Mavericks added other pieces, reuniting with Spencer Dinwiddie after trading him to Brooklyn (for Irving) two seasons ago through free agency. They traded for Quentin Grimes and signed Naji Marshall for wing depth. But Thompson was the prize.

Training camp for Dallas begins Tuesday in Las Vegas, where the Mavericks will attempt to accelerate the process of acclimating Thompson to a new team. Thompson estimated the learning curve would last “a couple weeks,” though he marveled at what he’d seen so far through the past several days of playing in informal scrimmages with Dončić and Irving. He said Dončić in the pick and roll was “maybe the best (player) I’ve ever seen.” Thompson and Irving were both a part of the 2011 NBA Draft class, played against each other in three finals between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, and were teammates with USA Basketball.

“(Irving) is a huge reason why I am here,” Thompson said.

Both Kidd and Irving mentioned the success the Mavs have had in making Irving feel comfortable since he arrived in Dallas at the 2023 trade deadline.

The comparison isn’t quite true — Irving had suffered major trauma to his image, and in turn, his career, through his off-court struggles with Brooklyn. Thompson never had those troubles, but he is nevertheless looking for a bit of a reset after the personal disappointments he was dealt in his final year with the Warriors.

“Southern hospitality is real,” Irving said. “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 you feel special. … Not every NBA team (does that).”

Required reading

• The NBA offseason’s most underrated moves, from Klay Thompson to Tyus Jones and more
• Klay Thompson looking to be re-energized with Mavericks: ‘Sometimes breakups are necessary’

(Photos: Glenn James / NBAE via Getty Images)

Joe Vardon is a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, based in Cleveland. Follow Joe on Twitter @joevardon