The notion that the Mavericks can surpass last season and win the NBA title has been bolstered by Klay Thompson‘s presence in Dallas. Alongside high-scoring guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, his three-point shooting is anticipated to flourish; but, following a few difficult seasons, there are concerns over his defense. On NBA Today, Brian Windhorst discussed the matter.
Thompson will improve the Mavericks’ three-point shooting, the analyst agreed. The Celtics made 14 triples per game on 33.3% shooting throughout the 2024 Finals, compared to Dallas’ meager 9.6 triples per game on 31.6% shooting. The seasoned guard is able to close the three-point shooting distance. Windhorst, though, had doubts about his ability to defend when it mattered most.
He emphasized how his lackluster defense made Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hesitant to put him on the court late in games. According to Windhost, Jason Kidd, the head coach of the Mavericks, will have to deal with a similar situation. He stated: “At the end of the game, is Jason Kidd going to feel with Klay Thompson out there on the defensive end? Because if you look at the perimeter, it is Klay, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic, that is not the strongest defensive perimeter… This is what happened last year with the Warriors, Klay became a defensive issue sometimes, so they had to take him off the court, it caused problems with him.”
Although it was devastating to lose Derrick Jones to the Clippers, the squad was able to bolster their defense by adding 6-foot-7 forward Naji Marshall. If the veteran’s defense doesn’t perform well in key moments, they might substitute the former Pelicans forward for Thompson. Windhorst did recall, though, that the guard wasn’t particularly happy about being benched for the Warriors’ crucial game the previous season.
