Five-time All-Star Klay Thompson is a legend and forever tied to the Golden State Warriors championship dynasty.
But last season Thompson and Golden State fell on hard times. Their vibe landed in the trash can, losses piled up and the Warriors missed the playoffs. In July, Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks via a sign-and-trade. The Mavs gave Splash Brother 1B a three-year, $50 million contract.
The move received widespread acclaim, with Bleacher Report giving the trade an “A” for the Mavericks and The Athletic handing out a B+. But there are reasons to be skeptical about this deal for Dallas.
After the 2023-24 season ended, Golden State management seemed eager to move on from Thompson, indicating he’d have a much reduced role with the team had he returned.
“[T]he Warriors planned to bring Thompson off the bench behind sophomore guard Brandin Podziemski, sources said, after Golden State started its prized rookie for a good stretch during the second half of last season,” Yahoo’s Jake Fischer reported,
Golden State’s decision to feature Thompson in a sixth-man role probably stemmed from concerns about his defense.
After suffering two devastating leg injuries, the once-gritty defender, who made the 2018-19 All-Defensive Team, lost a step. His agility was sapped, and the 34-year-old struggled to contain his assignments. His close-outs on three-point shooters often were slow and labored.
By the season’s end, Thompson had allowed his man to shoot 40.4% on corner threes and 36% on above-the-break threes. Overall, he finished 15th on the Warriors in defensive rating at 116.1.
Thompson’s offense wasn’t much better. Outside of the 2021-22 season, in which he played only 32 games, he shot his worst percentage from beyond the arc, connecting on only 38.7% of his attempts.
Making matters worse, drives to the rim from Thompson were virtually nonexistent, as he took only 5.1% of his attempts from zero to three feet. Without the ability to keep defenders honest, Thompson became a one-dimensional offensive player who was easy to game-plan against.
In the end, the Warriors were 7.6 points worse per 100 possessions with Thompson on the court during the 2023-24 season.
Given the statistics and the eye test, the overwhelmingly positive narrative surrounding Thompson’s shift to the Mavericks seems perplexing. The working theory is that the attention drawn by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will lead to many wide-open looks from deep for Thompson, who will drain those shots with ease. However, this argument doesn’t hold much weight.
Last season, Thompson shot a mediocre 37.9% on wide-open three-point shots (defined as no defender within six feet of the shooter), good for 137th of 210 players with at least two attempts per game.
On the less glamorous side of the ball — defense — things could get ugly.
Irving and Doncic showed improved defensive intensity in the playoffs, but they’ll probably never become lockdown ballhawks. The Mavericks need a strong wing defender capable of guarding elite perimeter scorers such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard or Jayson Tatum.
But Thompson’s prime days on defense are in the rearview mirror.
Perhaps a change of scenery in Dallas will revitalize Thompson’s career. A new coach, teammates and city could spark a resurgence.
However, don’t be surprised if last season was a precursor of things to come. There’s a greater chance Thompson’s 2024-25 season will go sideways.
