“Championship.” That was the word that Luka Doncic chose when he was asked for one word that could summarize what will be the Mavericks’ approach to this upcoming NBA season. He only needed a couple of seconds to come up with the perfect answer, during the team’s media day before departing to Las Vegas for training camp.
“That’s the goal,” he insisted, as he had one player in his mind. The expectation in Dallas is that Klay Thompson’s arrival this summer will serve as the ideal ingredient to improve the squad’s winning formula, which almost won last campaign’s title in the Finals against Boston.
The four-time champion, who spent 13 magical years in Golden State, should have the mindset needed to win it all. “I feel like our dreams can be possible because he’s here now,” Kyrie Irving said about the sharpshooter, who was his 2011 draft classmate. “He’s added a great value to our championship aspirations.”
Luka, Kyrie say Klay key to Mavs’ title aspirations https://t.co/yjEXjBxf10
— Ron Bohning (@RonBohning) October 1, 2024
While the veteran guard made emphasis on how Klay’s experience can be vital, there is some doubt over how effective the ex-Warriors star can really be at 34-years of age. Despite his elite shooting, it is true that Thompson wasn’t performing at his best this last season in California.
However, this is what the Mavericks are betting on, as they prioritized adding a three-point threat this offseason, after struggling from range during the NBA Finals, as they dropped in only 31.6% from beyond the arc. The new recruit is a career 41.3% 3-point shooter that happens to rank sixth in NBA history with 2,481 threes made.
“When me and Kai, when we have the ball, you basically can’t help off of Klay,” the Slovenian explained. “Because if you leave him wide open, he’s going to make it. So I think the spacing is going to be crucial for us, but more of that, I will tell you after a couple games.”
As for coach Jason Kidd, he’s convinced they haven’t had a shooter like Klay in a long time. “We’ve had shooters, but we haven’t had a Jason Terry or Klay Thompson,” he assured. “This is rare air. When you talk about Klay, he’s going to go down as one of the best shooters of all-time. So to have him on our side, it just makes the game offensively easier. Spacing is a big thing in our league.”
Even before training camp, the former Warriors star explained why the Mavs ‘have the ingredients for success’ to earn NBA title
After reaching the NBA Finals and losing the series to the Celtics back in June, the Mavericks surprised the NBA world with one of the hottest trades of the summer. After 13-long seasons in Golden State, Klay Thompson decided to change his luck and try something new in Dallas, as he’s convinced this team has something “special.”
As for the Texan franchise, they hope the four-time champion is the missing ingredient to push them towards their first NBA title in a decade. The sharpshooter is already setting into his new life in Dallas as the new campaign approaches, and he recently sat down with insider Grant Afseth to share his excitement.
“I’m excited; it’s a whole new chapter of my career that has the potential to be really special,” Thompson expressed. “The team was so close last year—three wins away from a championship—so I know we have the ingredients for success.”
The player then revealed that he already has feelings for the city. “We just have to stay together and build week by week,” Klay added. “I know we can do something special, and that’s why I’m here early, just to get a feel for the city and the lay of the land. And I’m having fun while doing it.”
