Golden State Warriors legend Klay Thompson has made his anticipated debut for the Miami Heat, albeit in a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City on Saturday.
Thompson went scoreless in his first action in a Heat uniform, but there's reason for hope and optimism after two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo showed just how easy he could make it for Miami's sharpshooters during a dominant 129-105 victory.
Klay Thompson gets reason for hope after impressive Giannis debut
Antetokounmpo only took three shots during his 14 minutes to start his Miami career, scoring only nine points and grabbing four rebounds in the 24-point win. However, the former Milwaukee Bucks superstar dished out seven assists during his short time on the floor, regularly finding open perimeter shooters after forcing the defense to collapse with his dominant ability driving downhill.
Thompson didn't cash in on this occasion, taking only two shots himself in which he missed both -- a 3-point attempt and a mid-range instantly off an offensive rebound. The four-time NBA champion had just two rebounds in his 13 minutes, proving a rather uneventful debut for Thompson after he joined the Heat following a buyout agreement with the Dallas Mavericks during the offseason.
Yet the ease in which Antetokounmpo drew attention and found shooters was an ominous sign for rival teams, and it should only be a matter of time before Thompson, one of the league's greatest ever shooters, thrives and gets back to over 40% shooting from beyond the arc.
The scary aspect is the new-look Heat poured in 129 points and did so while committing 25 turnovers, while their defense was just as impressive in keeping the Kawhi Leonard-less Raptors to less than 40% shooting from the floor and less than 30% from 3-point range.
Andrew Wiggins also set to benefit from Giannis drive-and-kick game
It was also the first time Thompson and Andrew Wiggins took to the floor as teammates since the former left the Warriors for the Mavericks in 2024 free agency. Wiggins is also set to be a major beneficiary from the Antetokounmpo acquisition, dropping an efficient 12 points on 4-of-6 3-point shooting in less than 13 minutes.
Thompson and Wiggins started on the wings together, while another veteran sharpshooter and notable offseason signing, Tim Hardaway Jr., came off the bench and had 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting (3-of-3 from 3-point range).
Based on the first preseason outing, the Warriors worst laid fears will come to fruition. The Heat are going to be a very good team, and two Golden State champions will be a big part of it while Antetokounmpo -- a dream target of Joe Lacob's for over half a decade -- will be leading the way.
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