Former Maverick claims 1 way Klay Thompson has hidden shooting edge over Curry

The Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 season ended nearly three weeks ago when they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the Play-In Tournament, but their first big step of the offseason will be here in just a few days, as the NBA Draft Lottery is next Monday.

Dallas has the No. 11 odds of securing the No. 1 overall pick, and they will be in the draft lottery for the second time in three years.

Outside of the draft lottery, Klay Thompson has also been in the news over the last few days, as he changed his hairstyle from long curls to a low fade. Thompson had been rocking his hair long for years, and his new look will be a major change from what Mavericks fans are used to.

One thing these fans are used to, though, is Thompson making it rain from downtown, and fans saw just how dominant he can be when he's at his best during the play-in. Thompson averaged 20.5 points per game while shooting 50 percent from downtown, and reminded everyone that he is still one of the greatest shooters in the NBA off the catch.

Klay Thompson gets hotter much quicker than Stephen Curry

He and Stephen Curry formed one of the deadliest duos of all time during Thompson's time with the Golden State Warriors, and while Thompson carried over some of his stellar shooting from his time in the Bay to Dallas, he'll always be remembered for being Curry's running mate in Golden State. They had some unforgettable moments on the Warriors together, as they won four championships and made the NBA Finals six different times, and Curry and Thompson will always be associated with one another.

While Thompson won't play in an NBA game until October, his fellow Splash Brother, Curry, has been in the news recently as he and the Warriors are in the middle of a second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State currently leads the series 1-0, but the story of the series is now Curry's hamstring strain that will likely sideline him for at least the next week.

Curry had been excellent for the Warriors in the playoffs up until the moment he got injured, and it will be an uphill battle for Golden State to stay in the hunt until he returns.

With Curry and Thompson always being compared to each other, they received a comparison over the last few months that will have Mavericks fans giddy.

Former Mavericks guard and NBA analyst Tim Legler was comparing Curry and Thompson's games a few months ago on the "ALL NBA PODCAST," and the analogy shows exactly why the Mavericks are lucky to have Thompson, while also illustrating what makes him special.

Legler said that Curry's ability to get hot from downtown is like a traditional oven, but Thompson is like a pizza oven.

"He is the most combustible player in the league," Legler said about Thompson. "He's the guy that gets hot at a level no one else does."

Legler dove into how Thompson's ability to get hot quickly is like no other, and it even trumps Curry's.

Most of Thompson's looks are off the catch, allowing him to get right into rhythm, and as long as the looks are coming his way while he's in the zone, the sky is the limit.

Mavericks fans got to see Thompson get hot plenty of times in the 2024-25 season, as he scored 20 or more points 16 times and made six or more threes seven times, and he is bound to have plenty more of these performances next season. Just like Legler said, it only takes a few shots to go in for Thompson to be in the zone, and the Mavericks are going to need plenty of big games out of him to help hold down the fort until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL injury.