Warriors influence on display as former guards fire in season debuts

Klay Thompson developed into one of the greatest shooters in NBA history during his hall of fame career at the Golden State Warriors, and now the 34-year-old has wasted no time in translating that to his new team.

The 5x All-Star officially made his debut with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at American Airlines Center, with Thompson playing a critical role in his team's 120-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Former Warriors guard Klay Thompson was impressive in his Mavericks debut

Much of the offseason discussion had centered on how easy it could be for Thompson in being spoon-fed by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and Mavericks fans couldn't have been happier with how it went particularly in the second-half.

Thompson was active in the first-half with eight points, six rebounds and two steals, but it wasn't till the second where he found his stroke and connection with Doncic as the pair combined on multiple occassions.

The 4x NBA champion finished with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 6-of-10 from three-point range, while he also added seven rebounds and three steals in just 26 minutes of playing time.

Another former Warrior guard, Chris Paul, was less effective in his debut with the Spurs. The 39-year-old had only three points on 1-of-6 shooting, but did add seven rebounds and eight assists as he continues to develop a chemistry with Victor Wembanyama.

Golden State 2015 NBA champion Harrison Barnes also made his debut with San Antonio, starting off hot with 12 points in the first-quarter before finishing with 17 on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Thompson wasn't the only former Warrior guard to light it up from three-point range, with Jordan Poole finding the stroke in an explosive opening period for the Washington Wizards in their season opener against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

Poole had five threes and 17 points in the first-quarter as Washington jumped out to a brief eight-point lead. The Celtics then quickly took control as expected, helping themselves to a second-straight blowout to start the season in a 122-102 win.

The 2022 NBA champion was still easily the highlight of the game for Wizards fans, with Poole recording 26 points, four assists and four steals on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor and 6-of-11 from three-point range.

The new-look Warriors were impressive in their season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, and will now be looking to continue their momentum when they face the Jazz in Utah on Friday.