Some people are worried about ex-Golden State Warriors All-Star guard Klay Thompson . The former Splash Brother struggled to find his stroke in the preseason for the Dallas Mavericks , leaving people to think he is washed.
But former Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce doesn't buy that assessment. According to the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, Thompson's actual value to the Mavericks isn't in the preseason or even during the regular season, but it will be at playoff time when the games matter most.
"I think Klay's value is really not going to show as much in the regular season as it will in the playoffs," said Pierce on the 'Ticket & The Truth' podcast. "That's what I'm thinking. As you get older, the regular season, you kind of try to get through it and you save those special performances when it really counts. My value for Klay will be more of what he brings in the playoffs. When he gets that down the stretch, he a champ dog, he can make big shots."
Thompson struggled to find the mark in preseason play
Klay made his Mavericks debut during the team's second preseason game against the Utah Jazz. In 18 minutes of action, he scored 10 points on 3-9 shooting, including 3-5 from three-point range. Thompson then followed that up with a cardio outing against the L.A. Clippers, where he went 0-9 from the floor in 21 minutes of action.
That performance reminded fans of his final game as a Warrior, in which he fired blanks and went scoreless in Golden State's play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings. Thompson then scored 11 points on 4-10 shooting as the Mavs concluded their preseason with a 110-84 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
" Like my value when I went to Washington wasn't like I was gonna put up no huge numbers at that point," added Pierce. "But you know what, I'm gonna be right here down the stretch and I'ma make these big shots. If I'm right here, that's what Klay is gonna be for them."
Pierce was the closer in D.C.
Pierce played for the Wizards after his one-year lease in Brooklyn. Unlike his stint with the Boston Celtics, where he was almost always the Celtics' leading scorer, Pierce played a supporting role in both Brooklyn and Washington. However, D.C. Paul was special because he was a killer in the clutch.
Paul acted as the closer in D.C. and hit many big shots, including game-winners, throughout the season. In the first round of the playoffs, Pierce upped his scoring average to 15.5 points per game with shooting splits of .576/.583/.833 as they swept the Toronto Raptors. In the second round, Pierce had that iconic 'I called game' in Game 3, but they lost the series 2-4 to the Atlanta Hawks.
How far the Dallas Mavericks can go this season remains to be seen. But if Klay can play the D.C. Pierce role in the postseason, the Mavs are going to be a tough team to beat, with Luka and Kyrie also proven closers on the team.
Related: Paul Pierce says playing in Brooklyn was a horrible experience: "Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate"
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