The Dallas Mavericks have been dealt some hammer blows of late and their overtime defeat to the Sacramento Kings didn’t lighten their problems.
A 129-128 overtime loss which saw DeMar DeRozan star with 42 points, has topped off a pretty heavy week for the Mavericks.
Much to the surprise of the basketball world they decided to trade away their franchise star Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers, he impressed JJ Redick on his debut with 14 points.
In exchange, they received Anthony Davis, who is now out injured. A deal which is looking less and less sensible by the day. Despite this Klay Thompson has revealed reason for optimism.
In part of the Doncic deal, the Mavericks not only acquired Davis but also young Lakers prospect Max Christie.
The 22-year-old was well-liked by Redick who will no doubt be sad to see him go. Christie was getting regular minutes in the successful Lakers side where he averaged 8-2-1.
However, his impact on the Mavericks straight away has been clear to see.
- 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists (Sacramento Kings)
- 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists (Houston Rockets)
- 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists (Boston Celtics)
- 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists (Philadelphia 76ers)
His ability up and down the court has always been a major strength but his early form in a Mavericks shirt is certainly looking promising.
So much so that he has earned the praise of three-time Champion teammate Thompson who jokingly thought he was the son of the Kings interim coach Doug Christie.
Thompson said: “I thought that was Doug Christie’s son…I’ve been incredibly impressed with Max, what a great addition. I’ve had great success with Michigan State guys in my career, and he’s just another one.
“They come in, they know how to defend, they are team players, and he has such a bright future in this league…He has a beautiful jump shot…You can’t leave him open.”
Following the departure of Doncic, it didn’t take long for former NBA star Vince Carter to spot that it could be beneficial for Thompson.
Carter said: “Now you can get the ball up, let’s play fast, and that’s where Klay thrives. You can get up, get early shots and if not you have AD [Anthony Davis] running to the rim. Now your secondary offense is Kyrie, so I think you get a lot more out of Klay Thompson now because of it.”
Since these comments, Thompson has been averaging 19 points per game and dropped a 19-2-1 in the defeat to the Kings.
He has also hit 50% of his shots from behind the arc in two of his last three games, which is well up on his 39.3% seasonal average.
While the Mavericks may currently be struggling to piece their new pieces together it’s only a matter of time before they find the formula.
