After spending the vast majority of his career as a starter — coming off the bench just 41 times in his first 12 NBA seasons — Klay Thompson has had to adapt to a very different role with the Dallas Mavericks this year.
The transition hasn’t always been easy, but head coach Jason Kidd has been impressed with how the veteran has embraced the change, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com.
“For Klay, when he came off the bench, he was great,” Kidd said. “He plays his role at a very high level for us. He can anchor that second group, can create shots for him and then just his voice, not only on the bench or in the locker room, but also on the floor. For our young players, he’s been great.”
Thompson’s impact is also reflected in the numbers. In 24 games as a reserve, he is averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range.
These numbers represent a noticeable improvement compared to his production in eight starts, where he averaged 8.8 points per game and made just 27.5 percent of his attempts from deep.
Thompson has played 13 seasons for the Warriors and Mavericks. He averaged 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 897 regular season games.
He was selected to play in five All-Star games and has won four NBA championships.
Southwest Notes: Eason, Williamson, Koloko, Thompson https://t.co/XdhLTfPOtA pic.twitter.com/xAeqqMTcpJ
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 2, 2026
#Klay #Thompson #adapts #smoothly #Mavericks #bench #role #TalkBasket.net