Klay Thompson has left Golden State and is now on the Dallas side, where he will team up with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. What if we took a look at where the Splash Brother will fit into Jason Kidd’s rotations? Here’s a quick tactical overview.
Klay Thompson new starter at position 3 in Dallas
Once the shock of Klay Thompson’s departure had been digested, we quickly looked ahead to the Splash Bro’s upcoming adventure in Dallas. The four-time NBA champion took on an intriguing challenge by joining the last NBA finalist, thus giving himself a chance to put another ring on his hand. But with what role?
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are already assured of occupying the two backcourt positions, which therefore leads us to imagine Klay Thompson taking the place left vacant by Derrick Jones Jr., after the latter’s departure to the Clippers. Thompson as a winger is not the position he has occupied the most during his career, but he is capable of doing it. He occupied it a lot at the end of his career with the Warriors in particular.
That being said, we are entitled to ask ourselves the following question: is having Thompson starting at 3 in 2024 really a great idea? During the last NBA Playoffs, one element jumped out at us, it was Dallas’ lack of defensive solutions against a Boston team very well stocked on the wings (Brown, Tatum). Derrick Jones Jr. was Jason Kidd’s best defensive option at the time. to slow them down. With Jones gone, a replacement had to be found, and the Mavs clearly want to trust Thompson on this one.
While Klay Thompson is a much better shooter than the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest winner, he doesn’t necessarily provide more defensive guarantees than the taller, more mobile Jones. In his prime, Thompson was an elite defender, someone who could take on the opponent’s top scorer on any given night. Since his two serious injuries, Thompson no longer provides the same guarantees.even if it can still provide services.
If Dallas wants to play all attack, at a pinch, but for the balance of the team, the solution may be elsewhere.
Klay Thompson sixth man of luxury?
Another idea that comes to mind is to imagine Klay Thompson in a role coming off the bench. We know that he didn’t really like playing that role this season with the Warriors, his ego took a hit. However, that might be how Dallas could best get out of it.
Let’s assume that benching Thompson probably means a Naji Marshall who would be a starter at the 3 position. Marshall is not a lightning bolt on offense, he is an average shooter, even if he remains on his best 3-point season (38%). Defensively, he is not elite but he can clearly contribute with his energy and power. Enough to offer a little defense around the Irving-Doncic pairing.
Putting Thompson in the sixth man role seems like a punishment, but he might be able to benefit from it in the end. Klay is still a top-tier shooter, someone capable of scoring 20 points every night, but he lacks consistency in his performances.
Another thing the Mavs lacked in the playoffs was the solidity of the bench and the scoring contribution of the substitutes.. Tim Hardaway Jr. (now gone) ended up on the end of the bench because of his ineffectiveness and his nullity in defense. Dante Exum played less than in the regular season. It lacks a real leader with the second unit, someone who will really have the label of leader like a Malik Monk with the Kings, a Naz Reid with the Wolves or a Norman Powell with the Clippers. As it stands, no one is reliable enough in Dallas to hold this role.
Klay Thompson is no longer the scorer of his best years and putting him against substitutes can also help him enhance his passages on the field. The numbers prove it. This season, Klay Thompson has posted better stats as a backup than he has with the Warriors’ starters.
Interesting splits for Klay Thompson last season:
In 14 games off the bench, Klay averaged 19.8 points (46.4 FG%, 42.8 3P%, 95.7 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 27.4 minutes per game.
As a starter, Klay averaged 17.4 points (42.5 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 92.1 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 2.3…
— Bonta Hill (@BontaHill) https://twitter.com/BontaHill/status/1807859150342574539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Klay Thompson is embarking on a new project with the Mavericks. Starting on the wing or bossing the bench, it’s hard to know exactly what his exact role will be in Texas, even if we suspect that the Mavs must have made him some promises when validating his signing. It’s up to Jason Kidd to find the best balance now.
Source : StatMuse
