Klay Thompson's departure from the Golden State Warriors was less than ideal last year, with the franchise legend leaving for the Dallas Mavericks after failed extension talks with the team that drafted him over a dozen years earlier.
The Warriors have been proven right to move on from Thompson when they did though, and perhaps even more so based on how the veteran sharpshooter has looked on both ends of the floor so far in preseason.
Klay Thompson's defense might now be a liability for the Mavericks
Once considered as one of the league's premier perimeter defenders, Thompson understandably hasn't been the same on that end of the floor following his two devastating leg injuries. He was still solid enough to be a key starter on Golden State's 2022 championship team, but may have now reached a point three years later where a back court of he and fellow former Warrior D'Angelo Russell is now a problem for the Mavericks.
“I saw Klay Thompson try to defend LaMelo Ball. He got that assignment and that didn't go very well either now. I have some concerns about this stage of his career, Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell as a back court, a starting back court on the defensive end," ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently said on The Hoop Collective.
Thompson's worst two seasons in terms of defensive rating have come in the last two years. He's now very much a one-dimensional player as a shooter first and foremost, which is exactly why he was moved to the bench late in his final season with the Warriors and replaced by a more multi-faceted Brandin Podziemski. It's also why the front office was willing to let him walk in free agency, rather than re-sign him to a three-year deal when he's clearly on the downside of his career.
Another issue for Thompson is that his shooting numbers have also taken a dip, having shot a career-worst 41.2% from the floor in his first season with the Mavericks. The preseason numbers haven't been good either, with the 5x All-Star shooting 33.3% from both the floor and 3-point range through three games.
Golden State haven't exactly solidified their starting shooting guard spot in the wake of Thompson's departure, but Podziemski continues to be a big factor including going for 23 points, five rebounds and eight assists in Sunday's preseason loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Thompson will always remain one of the Warriors' greatest ever players, but from a purely basketball standpoint the franchise made the right choice to move on when they did as heartbreaking as it may have been.