Klay Thompson’s Mavericks legacy now hinges on Jason Kidd

After the 2024 NBA Finals, it was clear that the Dallas Mavericks had one major hole.

They had their superstar duo in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, elite big man play from Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and superb perimeter defense from P.J. Washington, but their lack of shooting was painfully apparent.

The Mavs shot an abysmal 31.6 percent from behind the arc and 68.1 percent from the free-throw line. Dallas' shooting was horrendous in that series against the Boston Celtics, and they prioritized adding shooting in the offseason.

Dallas' biggest move of the offseason was acquiring Klay Thompson through a six-team sign-and-trade, and he gives the Mavs one of the greatest shooters of all time. Last season for the Golden State Warriors, Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting 38.7 percent from downtown, and he'll immediately become the best shooter on the Mavs.

Kidd already has perfect blueprint for Thompson to be elite for Mavericks

Thompson is excited to get a fresh start in Dallas and pursue his fifth ring, and his success with the Mavs lies on Jason Kidd more than one may realize.

Kidd has been an excellent coach for the Mavs over the last three seasons, and he is entering the 2024-25 season with the best roster he's ever had since joining the Mavs as a coach. He has all the pieces around him to go win a championship as soon as next season.

If Dallas were to win the NBA Finals next season, Thompson would be a huge part of that.

Kidd joined NBC Sports Bay Area's "Dubs Talk," earlier this week, and he dove into how Thompson impacts the team and what his role will look like on the Mavs.

"Being Klay Thompson," Kidd said when asked about what Thompson's role will be. "It's easy. We're not going to make this thing difficult. We truly believe that he gives us something that we haven't had. A guy who's not afraid to take the shot."

Kidd hit the nail on the head right there.

Not overcomplicating things with Thompson now on the team is going to be crucial in his success with the Mavs, and Kidd should be trusted when it comes to integrating him into their offense. While Dallas does plan to get him involved in some "creative" ways, this doesn't mean that they have to completely change their offense.

Kidd keeping things simple will be crucial in how Thompson plays in Dallas, and that seems like exactly what he is going to do. Thompson excels at hitting open shots off the catch, and the game will be easy for him while playing next to Doncic and Irving.

That duo creates plenty of open looks, and even Doncic's on-ball gravity by itself has helped make shooters' lives easier in Dallas. Kidd keeping things "easy" is going to be pivotal for Thompson to have a fruitful tenure with the Mavs, and Kidd is also going to be a big help off the floor.

Kidd has great relationships with his superstars and has done an incredible job of managing the locker room since becoming the Mavs coach for the 2021-22 season. Thompson looks to be the guaranteed starter at small forward right now, and Kidd managing that situation is going to be important as well.

Thompson still has great confidence in himself, but if he doesn't play well enough to be an every-night starter, Kidd is going to have to explore the best avenue possible to keep him happy while also doing what is best for the team.

Kidd has all the tools to help Thompson return to being the player that every NBA fan knows him as, and October can't come soon enough.