Wearing the Mavericks' No. 31 jersey and a white headband on his head, Thompson ushered in his first preseason game with the Mavericks. The Mavericks lost 102-107 to the Jazz, and Thompson played only the first half, playing 18 minutes, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range, finishing with 10 points and 3 assists. It's not about winning or losing in pre-season, it's about polishing the team and helping the players get their groove. Thompson was pleased with his debut with the Mavericks, even emphasizing that he made the right choice to come to the Mavericks, while he wanted to make a name for himself on the defensive end this season.
"It's a good feeling to be accepted by the fans. This motivates me to work hard and do the best I can every day. I know I made the right decision, especially considering how I felt tonight and in the last few weeks. Thompson said happily after the game. This offseason, Thompson chose to leave the Warriors because he felt that the Warriors did not give him enough respect and were not at all active in contract extension negotiations with him, as if he was deliberately trying to let Thompson go.
Thompson chose the Mavericks after being pursued by multiple teams, including rejecting the Lakers. The Mavericks reached the Finals last season and lost Derrick · Jr. this summer, but the addition of Tom has undoubtedly raised the team's ceiling.
In this preseason game, Doncic, Washington and Kleber are all sidelined, and the Mavericks starters are Irving, Dinwiddie, Thompson, Prospe and Lively. Irving had 12 points and four rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting, Dinwiddie had 10 points and three assists, and Prospe had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. On the bench, Gafford contributed 15 points and seven rebounds, and Hardy had 12 points and four assists.
Thompson wasn't fully powerful, making 3-of-5 three-pointers and 0-of-4 on two-pointers. For veterans, the preseason is mainly about finding feelings, and the desire to win is relatively weak. Thompson and Irving teamed up for the first time in preseason and failed to win a game. This is not the first time the two have been teammates, they have worked together in the United States men's basketball team. At the 2014 Men's Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, Thompson and Irving won the championship together. "We played together for the United States men's basketball team and had great success. So I'm looking forward to building that chemistry with him again, and when we have more time together, everything will only get better." ”
In fact, Irving made a big contribution to the reason why Thompson rejected the Lakers and chose to come to the Mavericks, because Irving participated in recruiting Thompson and used his own experience as an example to tell Thompson everything he felt in the Mavericks. Irving caused quite a bit of trouble in the first few years of his time with the Mavericks and was seen as locker room poison. Unexpectedly, Irving was not favored, but he actually got a new life in the Mavericks and helped the team reach the Finals. Irving has also become very the defensive end.
Tom is at a low point in his athletic career, and he undoubtedly wants to prove his worth and fight back against the Warriors.
Thompson is pleased with the Mavericks' roster this season, which includes playing alongside two great big men, Lively and Gafford Ford. "It's fantastic. It helped me a lot with my game. I'll try to create good scoring opportunities for them. A big reason I'm here is playing with both of them, we play great together without the ball, and I'm just excited to play with two big guys who can dunk on anyone's head. Thompson said.
In addition, one of Thompson's goals for the new season is to get back on the defensive foot. "It's good to have offensive players like Luka [Doncic] and Kyrie [Irving] on the court because then I can focus on defending the opponent. I still want to dispel the perception that I'm not the defender I once was. I really believe I can still do it, and I'm excited to prove you wrong. Thompson said.
Coach Kidd also spoke about Towns' defense: "He can defend everyone. I think he's done a good job defensively, he's a player who plays both offensively and defensively. He can defend and he's proud of that. "At his peak, he was one of the league's top wing defenders, including a selection to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2018-19.
However, after a series of injuries, Tang Shen's athleticism has declined a lot, and his defensive ability has also declined significantly. Today, Tang Shen is bent on regaining his defense. For the Mavericks, if Tang Shen's defense picks up and becomes an offensive and defensive wing again, then the introduction of Tang Shen is a bottom-up pick-up. Tang Shen signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks, with an average annual salary of less than $20 million. In The Lone Ranger he will play the role of the three masters. Can Tang God give the Lone Ranger a real upgrade? See!