"Yesterday was big for him" - Jason Kidd gives insights into Klay Thompson's first skirmish next to Luka Doncic
Newly acquired Dallas Mavericks veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson struggled to begin the preseason with his new squad. However, according to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, Thompson reached a turning point during his first practice alongside superstar teammate Luka Doncic on Wednesday.
Despite fully participating in Wednesday's practice, Doncic sat out Thursday's exhibition finale against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a left calf injury. The nagging ailment sidelined him throughout Dallas' four-game preseason schedule. Thus, he has yet to suit up alongside Thompson, who joined the Mavericks in free agency.
In Doncic's absence, Dallas secured its first preseason victory (109-84) against a shorthanded Milwaukee squad resting its top players. Thompson again struggled with his overall shooting efficiency, going 4-for-11 (36.4%) for 11 points. However, he went 3-for-7 (42.9%) from 3-point range, improving his preseason averages.
Over three exhibition appearances, Thompson averaged 7.0 points per game, shooting 24.1% and 33.3% from beyond the arc. While the four-time NBA champion's early production hasn't matched his three-year, $50 million salary, Kidd has been pleased with his shot selection thus far.
"Klay's gotten great looks, in and out. They haven't gone down, but that’s the life of a shooter," Kidd said during Thursday's postgame interview. "... He's gonna keep shooting, and he made some. I think you can see his feet are setting, he's getting comfortable."
Kidd added that Thompson practicing alongside Doncic before Thursday's preseason finale helped him break out of his 3-point shooting slump.
"I think yesterday was big for him to be able to play with Luka. He hasn't had that opportunity," Kidd said. "Again, he made some, made three in a row, but we've seen that in that other jersey, so it's good to see it in our jersey."
Klay Thompson shot 38.7% from deep on 9.0 attempts per game over 77 outings with the Golden State Warriors last season. He is also a career 41.3% long-distance shooter. So, he will look to recapture his elite 3-point shooting efficiency during his first season with the Mavericks.
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Klay Thompson on teaming up with Luka Doncic on Mavericks
During Thursday's postgame interview, Klay Thompson touched on his growing anticipation to play alongside Luka Doncic this season. He noted that the five-time All-Star piqued his interest in joining Dallas in free agency.
"I think we'll be great, and a huge reason why I'm here is 'cause of Luka and the chance to play with him," Thompson said.
Thompson added that he hopes to continue developing chemistry with Doncic in practice before the regular season.
"With the week ahead, we'll have a lot of time to build great chemistry," Thompson said. "He's such a great player, I don't think he needs much time to get acclimated to new teammates. He's elevated everybody's game since he's been in the NBA."
The new-look Mavericks will tip off their Western Conference title defense on Oct. 24 when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
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