ESPN SC | “Scariest BIG 3 in the NBA right now!” – Tim Legler is CRAZY about Klay joining Mavericks

ESPN SC | “Scariest BIG 3 in the NBA right now!” – Tim Legler is CRAZY about Klay joining Mavericks

after that clay who spent his entire 13-year NBA career in Golden State announced he was off to Dallas three-year deal his departure was no big surprise and he now joins the western conference champions off for a little perspective on how some of these most notable free agents fit in with the new squads we bring in ESPN NBA analyst Tim legler all right let’s start with Clay I mean such a big deal for him to leave the bay he goes to Dallas obviously would love to win another championship but you’ve got Luca you’ve got Kyrie two of the more Dynamic scores in the league how will clay fit in with how Dallas plays I think you just need to go back to the NBA finals Mike and look at the three-point disparity with the Boston Celtics it was a major factor in that Series this is an upgrade over the guys that were taking those same exact shots uh in that postseason you now bring in Klay Thompson clearly a much higher level shooter accuracy what he’s done throughout his career now it is going to be different for clay because these are going to be mostly just like this stationary spot up shots the the ball movement the off ball movement you know running pin Downs for him curl action for him that’s not what Dallas’s offense looks like now they might put some wrinkles in for him but this is going to be primarily Klay Thompson spacing the floor and playing off of the high ball screen of Luca Kyrie and that isolation game so it’s going to be a different feel for him could be an adjustment period but the bottom line is this you now have one of the most lethal Shooters in NBA history and he can still do that at a really high level now spacing the floor for luuk and Kyrie a major upgrade over those same guys that were getting those shots in the past postseason yeah those injuries kind of took away his best bouncing his burst but it’s turned to catch up a catch and shoot three still one of the best in the league as Tim said now let’s go to the Sixers here because this is very interesting Paul George said he wanted to win a championship in LA and said now he’s going to go to Philly and try to pursue one alongside Joel embiid and tyres Maxon who also just got paid a lot of pressure there in Philly to win a title finally how does he fit in now this new big three I’m mixed on this all right here’s why first of all it’s it’s clearly a significant upgrade in terms of Talent on the wing they got out from Tobias Harris’s contract finally yeah Paul George is a totally different level player and this is a guy that also by the way on those nights Joel misses in the regular season which are going to be 15 to 20 games you could almost pencil that in their record was sub 500 without him last year Paul George can answer some of that that’s going to matter in terms of seating and where you find yourself when joean beid comes back from an extended injury but here’s the part I think that I struggle with a little bit he has been very inconsistent in big spots in the postseason you’re going into a city that is craving this right there was more than 40 years now without championship in a city that loves their basketball Paul George going to an environment that’s pressure packed in postseason Michael that ultimately is what they got him for can you help us drag this thing not just to the second round or the Conference Finals all the way to a title they’re going to view Paul George as like the saving piece to be able to do that and he’s had some issues in the postseason when teams needed him to deliver let’s see how he handles that pressure packed environment in Philadelphia because it is unlike anything right now I think in the EAS conference playing at home in the playoffs we’ll see which version of playoff P shows up when he gets to Philly coming up was a piece the one of the most dominant teams we have seen in recent history but now he has agreed to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year $50 million deal that includes a player option that’s what sources tell ESPN so this ends Thompson’s historic 13-year run with the Warriors it includes four titles five All-Star games two all NBA teams according to woj his deal was largely inspired by the chance to compete for a fifth NBA title we know that he has hung up in his locker Tim McMahon a article of all of the players that have won five different championships that’s something that he aspires to but now he is joining the Dallas Mavericks what are you hearing that really convinced him that Dallas was the place to be howdy Malika look the Mavericks are a franchise that time and time again have swung and missed at bigname freeden so it’s a Monumental uh accomplishment for them to win a recruiting battle battle against the League’s most glamorous franchise when the Lakers had more money and a a longer contract on the table you start with giving credit to Nico Harrison this is one of the reasons he was an attractive GM canidate after a career as a Nike executive this is also though one of the perks of having a happy Kyrie Irving on the roster Luca donic is not a guy who’s comfortable as a recruiter Kyrie Irving is he has relationships with players like Klay Thompson he’s been his teammate on Team USA on a couple of occasions and I was told by should tell you Riley Irving Kyrie’s step bomb and his agent that Kyrie really talked to him about you know more his personal situation than trying to pitch him and trying to sell him on the Mavericks and you know one thing that Kyrie really emphasized you know coming from a situation where he felt disrespected and you know he wasn’t happy he didn’t dwell on the past didn’t dwell on what happened with clay and the Warriors or on how things ended for Kyrie and Brooklyn but what he told him is what he’s found in Dallas to this point is really a sense of family that’s really interesting that shared history in some ways between Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson and what they’re feeling but to borrow your word howdy what’s going to happen what is the plan for the Mavericks here when they say howdy officially to Clay Thompson how do they intend to use him here they understand that it is important for Klay Thompson to be a starter that he’s comfortable in that starting role they’re going to plug him into that starting lineup alongside the best playmaking and creating duo in the NBA obviously Luka donic an MVP candidate entering his prime the best shot Creator in the league the offensive part is simple you put an all-time great catch and shoot guy one of the best to ever do it next to this playmaking Duo they’re going to score a ton of points how is this going to work on the defensive end look that’s Jason kid’s job that’s his coaching staff job to figure that out it is a puzzle that they are really eager to uh start putting the pieces together excitement throughout the franchise to have Klay Thompson on this team and in the starting lineup and I’m sure Tim that that was music to Klay Thompson’s ears to hear that he will be back in the starting lineup for Dallas thank you so very much if your schedule wasn’t busy already it just got even busier with the addition of Klay Thompson but let’s call it spade a spade clay had a little bit of a Down year at least by his standards and he’s determined he’s going to be determined rather when he gets to Dallas I mean shootter shoot he’s going to find a way to help The mths A Team who struggled Chen in their offense a little bit in the finals they just couldn’t seem to hit those open shots against the Boston Celtics so what impa do you see clay having here look if you watch the NBA Finals you have seen countless opportunities that the Mavs had to knock down open shots now with Clay things can change in a very big way but do you know what’s crazy Luca led the league in scoring last season around 34 points per game and he could have even an even better year playing alongside Klay Thompson because you straight up cannot help off of him Klay has made the most catch and shoot three-pointers over the last 10 seasons so they will make quite the lethal Duo so watch this obvious viously there’s a lack of floor spacing because Lucas here and his teammates were not able to knock down open shots in the NBA Finals what does that happen what creates that’s a deflection that’s a turnover now you’ve got clay he’s an elite floor spacer again watch you have to just stun at him you have to stay and that makes those plays so much easier so if you look at this team moving forward okay yeah they fell short but it feels like they’re filling in some of the gaps Malika it marks an end of an era though Chan I think the only question for the Mavs is going to be defensively how that’s going to look but right now let’s just roll back let’s walk down memory lane some of the best moments for Klay Thompson in a Golden State Warriors uniform so this is 2015 this is when he erupted for 37 points this was in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings here Zach this is the year they won their first title together and there was no stopping him on that night I remember that vividly the most points in a quarter in NBA I feel like this is what he’s known for the most the 37 lightning in a bottle 37 for clay that was January 23rd and then May 28th 2016 this CH this is when game six clay was Bor remember Western Conference finals against the Thunder isn’t this the one where did we count oh was that the dribbles the 30 no that’s the next that’s the next one I like there’s so many nuances to what makes him great he 41 points I mean 11 threes forcing a game seven and then the 3-1 comeback perk it it’s so hard to have a game like that in that building true in the PO Who would know this is the one Chan this is when he went off for the career high 60 points against the Pacers 29 minutes sitting the entire fourth quarter was it like 12 dries oh yeah you guys remember that 11 drib 11 my family group chat will not let us forget our family group chatch is going to be called 11 dribbles now look at Curry on the bench just going crazy for there he is they they were going nuts and then this is 2018 this is when he made an NBA record 14 threes against the Bulls I was that’s not a real number that’s not even a real number 14 threes even the United Center was was cheering at this point cuz the United Center knows a thing or two about witnessing greatness yeah and it’s respect exactly he’s bleeding it was also the birth of headband clay because after he sustained that cut he started wearing the headband and the rest was history all right so this is game six of the NBA finals in 2019 I I still goosebumps every single time he tears his ACL he comes back to the court hits both free throw free throws before exiting the game for good he had 30 points in 31 minutes in that game he was cooking and it looked like they might pull it off and get it to seven a Standing Ovation when he exited the court and then a standing ovation here 941 days later after he tours Achilles during his ACL rehab he came back he made his return against the Cavaliers he had 17 points and route to a win and just seeing him back on the court there there’s nothing like a joyous clay just out there hooping he’s a he’s a a Hooper Hooper chenet he absolutely is but that was so inspirational give himself some Grace for that so the Warriors just moments ago they released a statement thanking Thompson and it reads in part we can’t overstate Klay Thompson’s incredible and legendary contributions with the Warriors during his 13 years with the team and it continues Clay’s Legacy will live on forever and and this is interesting we look forward to the day we can retire his number 11 Jersey at Chase Center where he will join a host of Warriors absolutely no question like yeah yep [Music] absolutely foree spee what e [Music] look [Music] okay e for e hey e take on [Music] spee spe on spe [Music] [Music] fore for for [Music] [Music] [Applause] spee for [Music] [Music] come

ESPN SC | “Scariest BIG 3 in the NBA right now!” – Tim Legler is CRAZY about Klay joining Mavericks