Mavericks' Biggest Surprise This Season Isn't a Good One

The Dallas Mavericks could use better shooting from one of their stars

Nov 8, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) drives to the basket as Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks moved to 10-8 with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, doing so without many of their best players, as Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, and Dante Exum all missed the game. Dereck Lively II missed the second half, too, with an illness that seems to have affected most of the team. One of those players has been named the biggest surprise of the early season.

READ MORE: 3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Road Win Over Hawks

Bleacher Report's Zack Buckley published a list of the biggest surprises of the early NBA season for each NBA team, listing "Klay Thompson's Sluggish Start" for the Mavericks.

"It all sounded unstoppable on paper. Klay Thompson, an all-time great shooter, catching and launching three-balls on sizzling setups by expert creators Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving? There should have been no defense for it," Buckley explained. "That was all assuming, of course, that Thompson would be the same caliber net-shredder in Dallas that he was in Golden State. And while there's still time for that to happen, it hasn't come close to occurring yet. The 34-year-old has never been less threatening on the offensive end. His 13.2 points per game are the fewest since his rookie season, while his 38.3 field-goal percentage and 36.8 percent three-point splash rate are both the worst of his career. Maybe this will eventually prove to be simply an extended slump, but given how rarely Thompson has encountered dry spells, it's still surprising to see him struggling to this degree."

While Thompson hasn't shot the ball well consistently in most games, he's had a few games of classic Klay, like shooting 5/9 from three last week against the Pelicans. He also has a huge impact on the spacing of the team, letting Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, PJ Washington, and Naji Marshall have room to work in the lane.

Thompson's defense has also been a pleasant surprise. He doesn't have the movement speed he used to, and no one would after the ACL and Achilles tears he had a few years ago, but his knowledge of where to be helps the defense incredibly.

READ MORE: Former Maverick Suffers Season-Ending Injury

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