Mavericks desperately need Klay Thompson to obliterate the ghost of his playoff past

Klay Thompson's time with the Dallas Mavericks has gone far differently than he could have ever expected when Nico Harrion orchestrated a sign-and-trade to get him to Dallas over the summer, and it mostly has to do with the moves the team made at the trade deadline.

While Thompson's season went well according to his standards, as he gave his first season with the Mavericks a "B" grade when asked about it after practice on Monday, the pieces around him are now far different from what he envisioned when agreeing to a three-year deal to join the Mavericks on July 1. Luka Doncic was a big reason that Thompson joined the Mavericks, as he envisioned himself being the missing piece in Dallas' effort to return to the NBA Finals this season, and he also shares a tight bond with Kyrie Irving and was excited to play with him.

Now, Thompson doesn't get to play with either player (since Irving tore his ACL and Doncic got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers), and he is about to have the chance to make up for one of the most disappointing moments of his career from last season. All eyes are on Thompson with Irving out, and fans will be hoping for a legendary postseason performance from the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter.

Klay Thompson must put the past behind him before postseason begins

In last season's Play-In Tournament, Thompson shot an abysmal 0-10 from the field and 0-6 from downtown against the Sacramento Kings in 32 minutes, and the Golden State Warriors lost 118-94, causing them to miss the playoffs for just the second time since 2013. This all-time poor performance has followed Thompson anywhere he's gone over the last 12 months, as fans are quick to bring it up anytime he has a bad game, and he has the chance to reverse history on Wednesday night for Dallas.

The Mavericks will play the Kings in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, and the circumstances are quite similar to last year. Thompson is on the No. 10 seed Mavericks, just like the Warriors were the No. 10 seed last season, and Dallas will be traveling to Sacramento just like the Warriors did. He will be looking to silence the doubters who say that he isn't the same player he once was, and a big game from Thompson may be exactly what the Mavericks need to move onto the next round of the play-in.

Thompson has been a vital piece of the Mavericks' starting lineup all season long, as he started in all 72 games that he played in, and this trend will undoubtedly continue into the play-in game in Sacramento. With Dallas' guard play being a major question mark over the last few months, Thompson could end up being heavily relied upon for shooting off the catch, and they are going to need for him to put last year's historically bad performance behind him and give the Mavericks a needed lift to keep their season alive.

He has not been able to escape the 0-10 game over the last year, and this is his chance at redemption. Thompson knows that he can't afford to disappear for the Mavericks like he did as a Warrior last season, and his teammates will be counting on him for veteran leadership in this high-stakes game and to knock down open threes as he has all season.

Brandon Williams potentially being out with an oblique injury for Wednesday's game against the Kings could also force the Mavericks to ask even more out of Thompson, and considering how he has stepped up in the playoffs in the past, fans should expect for him to look like a different player than the last time he played in the Play-In Tournament against the Kings. He has the opportunity to bounce back after hitting rock bottom in Sacramento last season, and part of his playoff legacy will be on the line.