The era of parity is finally back in the NBA with six different champions in the last six seasons and that has every competitive team believing they have a chance.
As such, more ambitious moves are being made than ever before as teams look for that missing piece that can get them over the hump.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade to the New York Knicks was the latest in a summer that has seen many take place on a level playing field this season.
Amidst all the predictions, hot takes, and trades, one Western Conference General Manager has claimed that he signed a player for his team this summer that can ‘take us over the top’.
With the continued ascent of Luka Doncic into a bonafide top-five player in the league at worst, the Dallas Mavericks have emerged as a force to be reckoned with.
Last year, Doncic’s partnership with Kyrie Irving started bearing fruit and the result was a memorable run to the finals.
They lost 4-1 to a well-constructed and optimized Boston Celtics which showed them how far they still have to go to be considered favorites.
Still, getting out of a brutal Western Conference was an achievement in itself and the belief was that they would be back with the right additions.
Nico Harrison, the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, recently claimed on SiriusXM NBA radio that by signing Klay Thompson, they have the guy who they think will get them over that final hurdle.
He said: “Honestly, after the Finals, we felt that we were close. Well, we knew we were close, and, I kind of say this, it has a good ring to it, but we were a Klay away. And we feel like he’s the guy that can take us over the top.”
Klay Thompson ended more than a decade-old tryst with the Golden State Warriors this summer to complete a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks and they have high hopes for him.
Last season, the Dallas Mavericks expertly leveraged the space created by Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s on-ball savant skills.
Their role players shot the ball well but when they were up against the Celtics’ long and athletic wing defenders, the strategy betrayed them.
The Mavs shot just 31.6% from the three-point line in the five NBA Finals games and that was a big reason why the Celtics could easily close the floor on Irving and Doncic.
They needed to add more shooting to the team and shooters don’t come much better than even a depleted version of Klay Thompson.
His propensity of just “getting hot” and going nuclear can single-handedly change a game with his shooting and his wing defense, while not at the levels pre-injury, is still nothing to scoff at.
Furthermore, he will be extremely motivated to prove to everyone he still has it in new surroundings, refreshed by a new challenge.
Thompson is an extremely astute pickup by the Mavs and if he can bring his Warriors skill set and mentality to the Mavs locker room, he might well be the guy that takes them over the hump.
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