That quick, feathery release was still there, the follow-through still as syrupy as ever.
Klay Thompson on Thursday night looked very much like Klay Thompson.
It was just a preseason game, the second of four for the Mavericks and the first one the team’s new sharpshooter has played.
But what the 6-6 guard did in a two-minute span late in the first half of the Utah Jazz’s 107-102 win at American Airlines Center was exactly what the Mavericks hope he can do all season.
With 2:45 remaining, he took a handoff from Naji Marshall near the top of the three-point arc.
Swish.
With 1:10 left, he took another handoff and the quick release found its mark again.
He then took another handoff on the perimeter but had that shot rim out.
Nonetheless, that stretch was a thing of beauty. Add on his first three-point bucket earlier in the second quarter that came on a shooter’s roll, and Thompson put up 10 points in 18 minutes of playing time before sitting out the second half, as did Kyrie Irving, who also made his preseason debut.
To say the least, it was a relief for Thompson to get his first action with the Mavericks after 13 years with Golden State.
“I was nervous for, like, four days,” he said. “I haven’t been that nervous, I don’t think, since the 2015 Finals, Game 1. It felt so good just to get out there and play and work those jitters out.
“It was a new experience. It’s a natural feeling when you’ve been somewhere so long to be somewhere new and to finally put the uniform on felt amazing. After a decade-plus being there and now being here, it literally felt like my rookie season all over again.”
By the second quarter, he said, the nerves had settled down.
He fought through what he said was a bit of back tightness that he was not concerned with and got hot late in the half.
“It was great being out there with Kai and the rest of the guys,” Thompson said. “Surreal? Absolutely. This preseason is so important for me because I want to build great chemistry with this team. I’m excited to experience a new chapter. It’s going to be special. I just know it.”
That’s what the Mavericks are thinking, too. And the fans gave Thompson a warm reception.
He was 3-of-5 from three-point range and missed all four shots he took from inside the arc. But three of those came in the first quarter when he was fighting off the human-nature jitters.
“He had some great looks and he got going there behind the arc,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Klay’s a weapon no matter how closely guarded he is, he’s able to get his shot. And he’s done that his whole career.
“For him tonight, there’s a lot of positives. He had some great looks that we all think he’s capable of making. He never rushes. He never forces anything. He probably turned down some shots that we would encourage him to take. But we trust that he’s making the right decision.”
Thompson moved around the court smartly. He made the defense stick close to him. He opened up precious spots for teammates to operate. And he did so in smooth fashion, meshing well with Irving.
“The chemistry with those two at practices has been at a high level,” Kidd said. “They understand what it takes to win and what we’re trying to accomplish. And they’re getting used to one another. Klay brings a dynamic to the floor with the spacing and his shooting ability. And Kai is dynamic with or without the ball. It’s just being able to see those two get their rhythm. It’s not so much chemistry. It’s rhythm.”
And Kidd stressed that patience will be a virtue for the Mavericks.
“It just doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “When we got Kai here in the trade, we wanted that to be instant success and it took some time. And it’s going to take some time. It’s not going to be two weeks, a month. It’s going to take a journey of 82 games to get used to one-another.
“We’re going to look good some nights. Some nights, we’ll struggle. But it’s a journey, it’s a big picture and hopefully we can get it right by March and April.”
Luka update: Luka Dončić sat out his second consecutive preseason game will be out again Monday when the Mavericks visit the Los Angeles Clippers.
“He’s doing great,” Kidd said. “We’re running out of (preseason) games. He’s not going to participate Monday. So we’ll see what Friday looks like.”
Kidd said that final preseason game against Milwaukee will be the dress rehearsal.
“We’ll look at pushing them (Thompson and Irving) at the Clippers beyond halftime and then the dress rehearsal game against Milwaukee where guys will play close to their (regular) minutes,” Kidd said.
In addition, Dante Exum, P.J. Washington, Brandon Williams, Maxi Kleber and Kessler Edwards were out.
Jet happy to share: Before Thursday’s game, Kidd was asked about how hard it is for some fans to believe that Thompson really is a Maverick.
“When Mavs fans see him wearing 31, it’s not Jason Terry,” Kidd said. “But Jason Terry is in the building, which I think Jason will get a big kick seeing his jersey number going up and down (the court) and shooting threes. It’s kind of cool that both of those guys are here.”
Terry is an assistant coach on the Jazz’ coaching staff for head coach Will Hardy.
The longtime Maverick, who was a key member of the 2011 championship squad, said he’s looking forward to Thompson wearing his old jersey number.
“It’s going to be great,” said Terry, who remains 10th on the NBA’s list of all-time three-pointers made. “And he’s wearing the headband, too.”
Hardy, by the way, said Terry has been invaluable as a member of his staff.
“Jet is maybe the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life,” Hardy said. “If I’m chuckling on the sideline, it’s probably something he said.
“And I think Jet has an unbelievable way of communicating with players. He has this knack for being humorous and telling you the truth without hurting your feelings all at the same time. I think he holds our young players accountable because he’s been in their shoes and I lean on that a lot. He can say things that I can’t.”
X: @ESefko
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