In leaving the Warriors for the Dallas Mavericks, Klay Thompson will be faced with a dramatic difference in climate, culture, politics and society.
Basketball, however, may be his biggest adjustment.
Thompson has spent his entire NBA career, which began in 2011, playing as a shooting guard alongside point guard Stephen Curry, a two-time MVP known for his relentless movement and impressive 3-point shooting.
But in Dallas, Thompson will likely play small forward in an offense whose primary playmakers are Luka Doncic and the mercurial Kyrie Irving.
Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry, who played 100 games for the Mavericks and was Doncic’s teammate, believes there’s a learning curve for Thompson.
“It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for Klay to be playing with Luka and Kyrie, not in Steph’s system. [Curry] Draymond [Green]”Curry spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area last week at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
Doncic often spends most of the 24-second time limit dribbling his way around the court. His movements are spare and deliberate, but purposeful. He usually gets there, but he does so at a waltzing tempo.
Stephen Curry is an avid tap dancer who has long been the focal point of Golden State’s offense, and every Warriors recruit quickly discovers that it may be tough sharing the court with the franchise player due to his unique ability to play both the point guard and shooting guard roles simultaneously, often in one offense.
Kevin Durant acknowledged that his first two months with the Warriors were spent learning how to play effectively alongside Curry, and whenever asked about the team’s offense, he consistently responded, “It’s Steph.”
No one understands that better than Thompson, whose off-ball efficiency made him a near-perfect backcourt partner for Curry, and their parting marks the end of something special.
“It’s going to be a little weird seeing Klay in a Mavericks uniform and wearing No. 31,” Seth Curry said, “but he had a great time with Golden State. He established himself there and won a championship. That ‘Splash Brothers’ backcourt was the best of all time and they did a lot of special things.”
“But I hope to see Clay in a different uniform again, happy doing what he does. I know he still has a lot of time left to dedicate to baseball.”
Thompson, 34, is in some ways a member of the Curry family, a kind of sibling to Seth’s more famous older brother. All three are excellent shooters. Seth Curry’s 3-point shooting percentage of 43.1 percent is third among active players; Stephen Curry (42.6 percent) is fourth and Thompson (41.3 percent) is seventh.
Just as Thompson will have to learn to play in a different system than the one Warriors coach Steve Kerr installed, Curry will also have to adjust to playing without a teammate.
Stephen Curry has a slight head start after playing without Thompson for nearly two years, with the Spaniard sidelined with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and then a torn right Achilles tendon.
Thompson’s new start comes with a big difference in style.
“But Klay’s a basketball player. He’s a great basketball player,” Seth Curry said of Thompson’s Dallas adventure. “I’m sure he’s going to do well and have a great time there and win a lot of games.”
Maybe that will happen if they can get through the trial and error that will begin when Klay, Luka and Kyrie meet in training camp.
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