TWO Dallas Mavericks stars, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, are optimistic that their team can win the NBA title in the 2024-2025 season with the arrival of a new player, Klay Thompson, from the Golden State Warriors.
At a media day at the team’s practice facility, before the Mavericks departed for Las Vegas for training camp, Doncic needed just one word to explain his team’s mission this season.
“Champion,” said Doncic firmly, quoted on the NBA website.
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The arrival of Thompson, who has won four NBA titles with the Warriors, is believed to be a key element in the Mavericks’ ambitions to win the championship. Thompson joins the Mavericks as this summer’s most sought after free agent.
“Klay’s arrival makes our dreams more likely to come true,” said another Mavericks star, Irving, who took part in recruiting Thompson.
Irving, who was in the same class as Thompson in the 2011 draft and is a former teammate on the United States (US) national team, added that Thompson’s championship experience would be very beneficial for the Mavericks.
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“He adds great value to our aspirations to win a championship,” said Irving.
The Mavericks have prioritized adding a three-point shooting threat after struggling in last season’s finale, when they only recorded 31.6% accuracy from beyond the three-point line.
Thompson, with a career record of 41.3% accuracy on three-pointers, is expected to be the solution to that weakness. He also ranks sixth in NBA history with 2,481 three-pointers made.
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Doncic sees that Thompson’s presence will provide more space for the Mavericks’ game.
“When me and Kai (Irving) have the ball, you can’t leave Klay open. If you do, he will definitely score,” Doncic said. “So I think the space game will be very crucial for us.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Thompson’s shooting ability would give the team a new dimension in attack.
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According to Kidd, Thompson’s presence could have a similar impact to Jason Terry, the skilled shooter who helped the Mavericks win the title in the 2010-11 season.
“Klay is one of the best shooters of all time. Having him on our team will make the game easier, especially in terms of spacing,” said Kidd.
Meanwhile, Thompson admitted he needed to adjust to the Mavericks’ style of play which is different from the Warriors’ system. However, he
confident his abilities will complement the Dallas roster well.
“I’ll be there to shoot open shots that Luka creates,” Thompson said.
With the NBA season starting on October 24, Thompson sees this preseason as one of his most important in recent years.
“I know I can adapt quickly, and I am really looking forward to this challenge,” he concluded. (Ant/Z-1)
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