Klay Thompson has struggled to find consistent performance this season.
Klay Thompson is averaging just 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game through 11 games played in 10 games.
His scoring output is a career low and his 3-point percentage is 26.7%, relegating him to a bench role.
Thompson is even expected to be traded in the near future, and he appears to be far from being considered one of the NBA’s best shooters.
Former teammate Draymond Green offered his take on Thompson’s struggles, citing his championship success with the Golden State Warriors as an example.
Green claims that the Dallas Mavericks’ lack of quality point guard play is the main reason for Thompson’s decline.
“Klay Thompson is having a bad year. Don’t you think it’s because they don’t have a point guard?”
“I’m not saying it’s all about not having a point guard, but having a good point guard makes a big difference,” Green explained.
“The setups and open looks are what you get to get more attention. It’s all a domino effect,” he added.
This problem has been going on ever since Kyrie Irving suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Mavericks tried to address the problem by signing D’Angelo Russell, but that move hasn’t had the desired results.
Head coach Jason Kidd has recently experimented with giving point guard responsibilities to Cooper Flagg, but that hasn’t solved Thompson’s shooting woes.
Green emphasized that Thompson is not the only player affected by the point guard shortage. PJ Washington’s shooting decline provides further evidence.
“P.J. Washington’s shooting is way below what he’s been shooting from 3. Don’t you think that’s a byproduct of that?” Green said.
Washington shot 38.1 percent from 3-point range last season, but that efficiency has plummeted to 25.5 percent this year.
The parallel struggles between Thompson and Washington support Green’s theory that quality point guard play creates better opportunities for perimeter shooters throughout the roster.