Dallas’s new superstar shooter could help the Mavs off the bench if necessary.
Klay Thompson signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks over a month ago. Since then, Mavs fans have been eager to see Thompson in his new No. 31 uniform.
One question that fans have on their mind is how his role will play out in a Maverick uniform.
He will be looked at as a starter at first, but will he maintain his status as a starting player by the end of the season? If not, it still isn’t the end of the world for Dallas.
Klay Thompson would be the perfect fit as sixth man for Dallas
Klay Thompson has already played the role of sixth man before during his last season with Golden State, but clearly felt disrespected during his role and throughout their contract negotiations. Thompson thought that he was still the same player he was before the injuries, but the Warriors didn’t agree with that.
Thompson averaged 17.9 points in 77 games played last season. While he was clearly frustrated with his decreased role under Steve Kerr. It was the best position for Thompson at the time to come off the bench.
He scored 35 points off the bench against the Utah Jazz on February 15. He looked confident shooting the rock from long range and taking it inside the paint to score.
Some players just need a different role in order to still be successful, it doesn’t necessarily take away from the skills of their game.
This will be an interesting scenario if head coach Jason Kidd makes a move with Thompson coming off the bench in his first season with Dallas.
At 34 years old, Thompson would be heavily depended on in terms of shooting and covering the opposing guard on a nightly basis. He’s not the player he once was in 2018, but he has plenty of juice left in the tank to make a difference to a playoff-contending team like Dallas.
If Thompson is on a noticeable stretch where he’s off his game, it might be up to Mavs newcomer Quentin Grimes to take over the reins as the starter or even Naji Marshall.
The pressure wouldn’t be on Thompson to make seven threes a night. He just has to connect on his open opportunities, which he will get plenty of on a nightly basis. Thompson’s game is him being a deadly catch-and-shoot man from beyond the arc. Playing aside superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic won’t change the fact that Thompson can still be an absolute monster of a shooter anytime he wants to be.
The question is about his role with Dallas and how long he can actually sustain being the starter with Dallas. Thompson as a whole should work well with this team just based on the fact that he doesn’t have to be the second option anymore next to Stephen Curry.
One of the reasons that Thompson came to Dallas seems to be that he’d be a guaranteed starter. This is something that the Los Angeles Lakers failed to offer him, and that cost them.
While the starting job is Thompson’s for now, it remains to be seen if that is the right role for him. If he struggles as a starter, the first player off the bench may be the perfect role for him.
Only time will tell if he’d be okay with that.
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