Klay Thompson of the Dallas Mavericks has already earned his place in NBA history as one of the best shooters of all time.
However, he isn’t looking like one at the start of this season.
Thompson has undoubtedly struggled, and Dallas head coach Jason Kidd spoke about that to the press on Wednesday night.
“He’s gotta keep shooting. He’s a shooter. He’s been in this league for a long time, so for him, he needs to take those looks. He’s getting great looks, they’re just not going down for him right now,” Kidd said of Thompson.
Jason Kidd’s message to Klay Thompson during a slow start to the season shooting the ball:
“He’s gotta keep shooting. He’s a shooter. He’s been in this league for a long time, so for him, he needs to take those looks. He’s getting great looks, they’re just not going down for him… pic.twitter.com/RA8MLdBdoM
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) October 30, 2025
Thompson is averaging 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 31.3 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from the three-point line across the first five games of the season.
For comparison, he created 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 41.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from downtown last year.
Thompson is currently light-years away from his career average of a 45.0 field goal percentage and a 41.0 three-point percentage, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get better.
Sometimes, players just need to shake off the rust, keep trying, and eventually find their footing again.
Kidd is going to encourage Thompson to keep trying because he has faith that it’ll work out.
This is not the year for Thompson to have problems, because the Mavericks are attempting to send a statement to the rest of the league.
They may be without Kyrie Irving, but they have Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and a strong determination to create noise in the West.
But to make a real splash, the Mavericks will need more from their Splash Brother.
NEXT: Cooper Flagg Joins Exclusive Company With Stunning Performance