Kyrie Irving gives astute breakdown of Klay Thompson's impact on Mavs amid explosive debut season
Newly signed Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson continued his hot debut with the team during their 110-102 victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday.
Speaking to Sportskeeda's Grant Afseth after the game, Kyrie Irving gave a breakdown of his rival-turned-teammate's impact on the Mavs. Irving highlighted how Thompson makes the game easier and that they're progressing with their oncourt chemistry.
"It definitely makes things easier," Irving said. "He’s a high-level thinker on that backside. We just gotta continue to develop that rhythm. So when we're out there, we kind of know when we're going to shoot the ball. Right now, it’s like the ball is finding each other when we’re open.
"But the greater teams in this league, they want to get not just the wide-open shot, but sometimes they want to get the easy ones. Capitalize on the plays where we can get everybody feeling good about the basketball game. But that takes time. We’re in that stage right now. I’m doing my best not to get too wordy, but, yeah, it feels good."
Klay Thompson recorded 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in Monday's game, shooting 46.7% from the field, including 36.4% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving led the team's victory charge with 23 points, six rebounds, nine assists, one steal and a block.
While Thompson is no longer the superstar he was during the prime of his career, he's proving to be an efficient third option for the Mavs, behind Irving and Luka Doncic.
Klay Thompson made NBA history in Jazz-Mavs game
Being arguably one of the greatest shooters in the league, Klay Thompson boosted the narrative when he made four 3-pointers against the Utah Jazz on Sunday to put his season tally to 15 in just three games.
According to StatMamba, the tally is the most in the first three games with a franchise in NBA history.
Thompson had also set a franchise record during his debut with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. The four-time NBA champion shot 6-of-10 from deep to set the record for most 3-pointers made in a Mavericks debut.
This season, Klay Thompson is averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 47.7% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc. With the win on Monday, the Mavs climbed to a 2-1 record before hitting the road to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.