Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is the last member of the organization to discuss the franchise’s surprise offseason acquisition of longtime sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay AreaKidd discussed Thompson’s recruitment and detailed his role on the team, while also addressing the Western Conference landscape and whether or not next year’s championship will come down to the Boston Celtics.
Child credited Kyrie Irving for playing a key role in recruiting Thompson to choose the Mavericks during last month’s free agency period.
“There were a lot of people involved in this, but I think one of the biggest players was Kai [Irving]”, Kidd said. “Player to player, he shared his experience of what Dallas has been like for him over the last two years and was able to tell Klay the honest truth about what he thinks could happen with Klay coming to Dallas. I’d like to say it was all me, but it wasn’t. I think it was a team effort.
“In this league, they all talk about their situation and they all recruit each other… I also think Klay did his homework, he just understood the situation. It would have been easy for him to stay, so he had to make an effort to do his homework and see what Dallas was about.”
Thompson chose a new opportunity in Dallas after spending the first 12 seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors. helped form a modern dynasty and won four championships with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr. Known for his explosive scoring bursts and dynamic shooting, Thompson will now join Irving and Luka Doncic.
It’s a combination that looks good on paper because of the amount of defensive attention Dallas’ backcourt duo draws on a nightly basis, but what does Thompson’s role look like for Kidd?
“Being Klay Thompson,” Kidd said, “is easy. We’re not going to make it difficult. We really believe he brings something to the table that we haven’t had. A guy that’s not afraid to take shots. He’s been in championship situations. He understands what that means. We think we’re building a championship team. Being a veteran, his experience, playing big games and being able to play both ends. We really believe he’s going to be able to make big shots and have fun, but we’re going to rely on him because he’s won a championship. We’re going to need his guidance and leadership along the way.”
Kidd then said the Memphis Grizzlies would be back in the Western Conference playoff picture after the franchise was riddled with injuries last season, and also mentioned San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans as teams that could improve.
“I don’t think you’ll see a lot of change at the top when you talk about Minnesota and Oklahoma. [City]”, Kidd said. “Last year the defending champions were Denver with the Joker [Nikola Jokic]”As you can see on the international stage, they gave the United States everything they could handle. The West is about health and being able to play your best basketball at the right time. We experienced that last year.”
It seems Kidd is excited about his new offensive weapon and wants to help Thompson win a fifth championship ring.
“He needs one for his thumb,” Kidd said. “We’ll get one in Dallas.”
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