It’s time for the Mavericks to accept Klay Thompson’s new reality

Klay Thompson will turn 36 this season. It feels like we blinked, and the future Hall-of-Famer is suddenly on the downturn of his NBA career. And while Thompson can still be highly productive in the correct role (he averaged 14 points per game and shot 39.1% from 3-point range last season), it's becoming increasingly clear that Thompson shouldn't be asked to shoulder as much of an offensive burden as he has in recent years.

The Mavericks, through six games, seem to understand that. Despite starting each game, Thompson is averaging just over 20 minutes per game and just under 10 field goal attempts per contest, both numbers that would be career lows for him. His shooting percentages will pop up as the season progresses — they always do — but the usage might not.

Thompson brings a shooting upside that the team lacks outside of him, and it's not like he's decrepit out there — but after well over a decade in the NBA and two brutal injuries, time will inevitably wear on his body. The role he's played so far this year may be the perfect role for him; 20ish minutes per game in which Thompson can fire away from deep.

Klay Thompson will still get hot on occasion for Mavs

And that's the best kind of role player to have. Thompson will still have plenty of games where he is the catch-and-shoot demon he was for so long in Golden State, and without many reliable offensive outlets, the Mavericks will cherish those games when they happen. Moreover, they'll need those games to happen.

When Klay Thompson gets hot, it's still one of the most glorious things you can witness in sports. His shots become less structured and more freewheeling, his release point can be from the side of his head, his feet can be facing the other basket entirely, and it still doesn't matter. Those scoring barrages aren't as common as they used to be, but hey, maybe that'll make us appreciate them more when they do happen.

Adding Klay Thompson was an objectively smart move for the Mavericks. Adjusting to a new version of Klay, which likely includes lower volume and minutes, is the next important move to make. So far, it looks like Jason Kidd understands this.