Is Klay Thompson the missing piece for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks had a great 2023-24 season with players such as Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. They were able to end the regular season with a record of 50-32.

This would lead them to an impressive postseason outing where they would reach the NBA Finals for the first time since they won their only NBA Championship in 2011.

Unfortunately for the Mavericks, that is where their journey would end. The Boston Celtics put a halt to their dream of bringing a championship back to Dallas with a dominant 4-1 win in the seven-game series.

Coming so close, the Mavericks decided it was time to make an adjustment to their roster during the offseason that would add to their offense. This would happen with the first-ever transaction involving six teams.

In a shocking turn of events, the Dallas Mavericks were able to acquire Klay Thomspon from the Golden State Warriors. This would end his tenure with San Francisco after 13 seasons.

Thompson had massive success in Golden State in their golden years where he won an NBA Championship a total of four times in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

So this is where the question comes into play. Is Thompson the missing piece of the puzzle for the Dallas Mavericks’ quest for another NBA Championship?

My answer is simply no. He is not the key player the Mavericks need to obtain a championship.

While I do believe that Thompson is a good acquisition for Dallas and could keep them in the playoff conversation, I don’t think Thompson is going to be the missing piece that leads them to a championship.

In his last year playing for Golden State, they had a chance to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament once again. Thompson embarrassingly went 0-for-10 in his last game as a Warrior resulting in them being eliminated by the Sacramento Kings.

In comparison to his teammates of their average points per game, Dončić has produced an average of 28.9, Irving with 23.9 and Thompson has currently managed 14.7.

Thompson has shown in a situation where he needs to be at his best, that he can ultimately fall flat in his efforts.

As of right now, the Dallas Mavericks have a record of 4-3 with Thompson. The Golden State Warriors with the same amount of games has managed a record of 6-1 without him.

When you look back at all of the success that Thompson has had over the years, it’s easy to link all of it to those that he has played with. While Dončić and Irving are phenomenal players, you can’t compare them to players such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in their prime just yet.

However, there is still a long way to go for the rest of the season where Thompson can prove that his acquisition can lead the Mavericks to the success they desire.

In the NBA, it is not about how you start. It matters where you finish by the end of the season.

The competition has been heating up in the entire league and Dallas has had decent momentum to start out the 2024-25 season. Whether or not that momentum leads them back into a playoff position will have to be seen.

An intriguing matchup that will not want to be missed is when Thompson returns to San Francisco for the first time since being traded. The Mavericks will take on the Warriors on Nov. 12, 2024, during the group stage of the NBA Cup.

Hudson Hvizdak is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email hph5358@psu.edu.