It was time to move on.
Klay Thompson will forever be a Golden State Warriors legend – Captain Klay, who cruised around the cold waters of San Francisco Bay on his boat, becoming a four-time NBA champion, a two-time All-NBA player and a five-time All-NBA. -A star who will be remembered as one of the great shooters the game has ever seen.
Thompson will be celebrated as such when his new team, the Mavericks, return to the Hunt Center and face the red-hot Warriors on Tuesday night (the opening NBA Cup game for both teams).
Thompson talked about how it was time, and moving on was good for him in a number of interviews this week. Here’s what he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“Honestly, it rejuvenated me and did something that I needed badly just for my mental health and my career,” Thompson said. “So, I really feel the love here, and I feel highly valued that I can do great things.”
That echoes what Thompson has been saying all along. As it became clear that the Warriors were ready to move on from Thompson, he chose not to stay in California and play with LeBron James in the team for which his father is a legend and broadcaster, he wanted a total break and went to play with Luka Doncic in Dallas.
Thompson wanted to move on and has, something he told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape.
“That chapter is over,” Thompson told Andscape after the Mavericks’ 122-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. “I’m in the middle of trying to win here. There is no point in losing anything when we have here such a great opportunity to be great. No use looking back…
“I have to wait ahead. I have to try to give my best self here.”
Thompson is averaging 13.8 points per game in a very different, more off-ball role in Dallas, shooting 35.4% from 3 (counting stats that are down from last season). He has worked hard on the defensive end and has generally been solid, but he is not the defender he once was.
Golden State has thrived — to an 8-2 start with the third-best net rating in the league — filling the role Thompson used to play for the multi-guy team. Buddy Hield came in and thrived as a shift shooter. The maturing Brandin Podziemski plus Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins (occasionally) stepped up and improved the Warriors defense. Golden State moved on and looked like a contender.
Klay Thompson will get his first look at these Warriors and be motivated on Tuesday night.
Just don’t expect him to miss days gone by, he’s moved on.
