Klay Thompson shoots through the nerves of his Mavericks debut: ‘It’s a natural feeling’
Klay Thompson’s nerves got the best of him in the four days leading up to his preseason debut for the Dallas Mavericks.
Four days before, Thompson felt the anticipation firsthand at the team’s open practice when chants of “WE WANT KLAY!” echoed throughout the American Airlines Center. The practice was a rest day for Thompson and Kyrie Irving, who were also sidelined for Monday’s preseason opener. But despite a slight delay, those fans received their wish when both players suited up Thursday night.
For the first time in his 14 seasons in the NBA, Thompson – the former Washington State standout – was introduced to play for a different team along a new co-star. For someone who’s won four championships, broken several records and has accumulated a career’s worth of accolades, one could think that it was just another preseason game. Not to Thompson, who allowed himself to feel the jitters that come from being in a new environment.
“I hadn’t been that nervous since the 2015 (NBA) Finals, Game 1,” Thompson said. “It felt so good to just get out there and play, and work those jitters out, because it was a new experience. It’s a natural feeling when you’ve been somewhere so long … To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing.”
That new uniform isn’t the one with the Bay Bridge plastered over the front with a No. 11 on the inside of the logo, which represented the Golden State Warriors. It’s a different shade of blue, with a new No. 31 attached to it. Despite the different jersey, Thompson’s signature shooting style remained the same. He finished with 10 points and connected on three 3s in 18 minutes as the Mavericks took a narrow 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Thompson started the game missing his first three shots, but his nerves settled once he re-entered the game in the second quarter. Spencer Dinwiddie found Thompson coming off a screen for his first 3-pointer of the game, which had a friendly bounce off the top of the backboard before it dropped through the hoop. Toward the end of the quarter, Thompson found a small spark of momentum as he drilled back-to-back 3-pointers.
“I could sit down and breathe and realize it was just basketball,” said Thompson, who also revealed that his back “tightened up” on him. He didn’t see a cause for concern, citing the stiffness was just a random occurrence.
“These things happen throughout a season,” Thompson said. “… I love to be healthy and able, but I’ll be fine. This will pass and I’ll be ready to go Monday.”
The Mavericks will travel for the first time this season to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Thompson and Irving are expected to play beyond the first half as they ramp up toward their regular minutes load.
Kidd said he believed Thompson had some great looks, especially from beyond the arc.
“I think Klay’s a weapon, no matter how fast he gets it or how closely he’s guarded,” Kidd said. “He’s able to get his shot up and he’s done that his whole career. For him tonight, there’s a lot of positives. He had some great looks that we all know he’s capable of making. He never rushes. He never forces anything. He probably turned down some shots that we would encourage for him to take. We trust that he’s making the right decision if he does turn it down to get something better.”
A couple of those deferred looks turned into opportunities for Dereck Lively II. Thompson dished two assists to the Mavericks’ sophomore big man, as a result of the defensive attention created by the threat of his perimeter shooting.
“It’s so great,” Thompson said. “It’s going to help my game so much. I’m going to try and get them great looks. Dereck’s energy is going to be great for our team. He brings it every day at practice. So does (Daniel Gafford). That’s a big reason why I came here, to play with those two guys. We’re going to do great things off the ball … I’m excited to play with two big men who can dunk on anybody.”
Thompson took turns defending Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Collin Sexton. He accepted the challenge of guarding anyone he found himself matched up against. Asked about his defensive responsibilities going forward, Thompson issued a warning to anyone doubting his capabilities.
“It’s really nice when you have great offensive players like Luka and Kai that you don’t feel like you have to shoulder the load as much,” Thompson said. “I can kind of get back to guarding like I have in the past. I still want to get rid of that notion that I’m not the same defender as I once was. I truly believe I am and I’m excited to prove people wrong that I can still guard the elite players in this league. I thought it was a step in the right direction for me.”
Thompson arrives in Dallas determined to be successful on both ends of the floor, which pairs perfectly with the Mavericks’ overall goal of returning to the NBA Finals.”