There’s no space for fretting anymore! As the fans slowly get used to Klay Thompson’s Mavs connection, the conversations have moved to the technical realm. It goes without saying that the 4x NBA Champ has certainly elevated the Dallas Mavericks‘ shooting prowess. Now, the question falls on his defensive abilities. Importantly, senior NBA analyst Joey Mistretta predicted 34-year-old reinforcements at the defensive end, citing the latest 2K ratings.
Not to forget that this bold prediction from Mistretta came days after the Mavs’ owner Mark Cuban’s public declaration of China Klay’s role on the team. But, before we brush up on that statement, let’s focus on the star’s guarding skills. In the latest episode of Locked On Mavericks podcast, Clutch Points’ Mistretta opened up about his sense of wonder at Thompson’s 2K defense overall rating.
“2K actually gave him an 80 overall on defense which I was surprised,” said Mistretta. He further continued, “Shout out to 2K. Klay still is respectable Defender he’s not the defender he once was and we’ll see if he can get back to that but he might be all right.” Capitalizing on the situation, the show’s host asked if Klay Thompson could make an impact on the defensive end with the rating.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
USA Today via Reuters Mar 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
What’s your reaction? Is Klay Thompson’s NBA 2K rating a slap in the face? React! Reactions
Even though the analyst made it clear that 2k ratings “doesn’t mean anything”, he made a bold prediction. After stating the obvious that Klay would cause a massive dent alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving at the offensive end, Joey Mistretta moved to the defensive end. He added, “The defense with Naji (Naji Marshall) and Quentin (Quentin Grimes), you might be all right. So if he (Klay) gets, if he’s an 80, yeah I think that could be okay.” Undoubtedly, Klay’s defensive abilities have considerably gone down after his injuries. So, it’s indeed a bold claim!
Mark Cuban revises the plays for Klay Thompson
The moment Klay Thompson left the Golden State Warriors fold, the star lost his #2 position. At Dallas, Luka and Kyrie have already taken over the top three spots. So it ultimately pushed him down to the third spot. On the other hand, Thompson might have a whole new balling experience in Texas. At least that’s what Mark Cuban said.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
At the Bay Area, even though China Klay mostly did catch & shoot, he had to make a lot of movement, like coming off the screens and running around. Speaking of it Cuban said, “At Golden State, he had to always be on the move. They had that motion offense where he was always coming off screens and running. You know, we don’t do that… Just standing in the corner and standing in the wings, just catch and shoot from Luka and Ky, hopefully, his life is gonna be a lot easier.”
So looking closely at Cuban and Mistretta’s words, Thompson might’ve a lot of work on the defensive end. Since the star’s role is reduced only to catch-and-shoot, Jason Kidd might expect the champ to move his muscles on the defensive end.
With two superstar guards on the sides already, which position will Klay Thompson play with the Dallas Mavericks?
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.