Klay Thompson's Mavericks debut was everything. And does the NBA need a FIBA ​​goalie?

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Charles Barkley performed “Who Does He Play For?” again last night on TNT. His goal was to achieve two out of five. He incorrectly guessed Taj Gibson (Charlotte, guessed). New Jersey Nets), Talen Horton-Tucker (Chicago, est. Utah), Doug McDermott (Sacramento, est. Detroit) and Garrett Temple (Toronto, est. Portland). He really nailed Patty Mills (Utah). So close! By the way, he is now 8-97 all-time (7.6 percent).

Klaymation is back

Klay Thompson's Mavs debut was everything

It looks kind of strange, doesn't it? Klay Thompson on the pitch not in a Golden State Warriors uniform. It was a little confusing in the preseason, but it got especially confusing early in the Mavericks' 120-109 win over the Spurs last night. After a few minutes, Thompson was just another Mavs role player, filling the court for Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. At some point in the second half, many people watched as he lit up the Spurs in a way that reminded you how special his career was.

He finished the game with 22 points (14 in the second half), seven rebounds and three steals. He shot 7 of 13 from the field and made 6 of 10 from downtown. His defense was good and his shooting was clean. And he seemed so comfortable next to Dončić. More importantly, Dončić and Irving looked relieved to have him on the court. You just can't leave Thompson. Even if he shoots 0 of 15 from distance, the scouting report will say to stick with him.

Klay Thompson in his Mavericks debut:

◽️ 22 PTS
◽️ 7 REB
◽️ 6/10 3-PT FG https://t.co/qJtlzNYtf2 pic.twitter.com/BHuuJm2T2r

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) October 25, 2024

I spoke with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison on SiriusXM NBA Radio before the season began. He used this phrase over and over again when talking about the defending Western Conference champions and what could surpass them: “We’re a klay away.” That's apparently what he told people in the offseason as they pursued Thompson, 34. And he could be exactly right. That's what it looked like for Dallas last night, even against an inferior Spurs opponent.

Charles Barkley is trying to recover from his “Who is he playing for?” problem. performance, but was unconvinced after Dallas' opening win. When the evening was over, Barkley said he believes the Mavs got lucky with their matchups last postseason and are closer to sixth, seventh or eighth place in the West. He doesn't think Thompson will help them get to the next level. I disagree. I think most of those who watched last night already have a different opinion. Now please bring a healthy Thompson to the playoffs.

The last 24

The NBA has determined the slots for in-season tournaments

Remember those random spots for the in-season tournament last year that made your eyes pop? The weird catwalk in the middle of the floor that looked like someone spilled neon paint? Well, the NBA is going with something a little more viewer-friendly for the NBA Cup berths this season (we think?). We now have three concentric circles on the square. Here is all your information about it. That should stop the internet from making jokes, right? Incorrect! About Andrew Carlson:

🎧 The Athletic NBA Daily: Listen as the crew breaks down Dallas' opening win, OKC's dominance and everything you need for the weekend. Press here ▶️.

🏀 Is Anthony Davis really less reliable than Julius Randle? Law Murray rocked my world with this. Level 2 player here.

🏀 Evaluate errors. The NBA announced that a scoring error was made during Wednesday's Warriors-Blazers game. It has been corrected.

🩼 In fact, James Wiseman tore his Achilles tendon on Wednesday night. It's his fifth season and he won't have played 150 games in his career at the end. This is also his third NBA team. This is another tough break for him.

📺 This game is the one tonight. The Pacers visit the Knicks to get those playoff feelings back on track. 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

📺 Future Beef Court game. The Grizzlies travel to Houston to take on the Rockets. I expect some trash talk from Ja Morant-Dillon Brooks. 8:00 p.m. ET on League Pass.

📺 It's a 🐐 vs 🐐 game. At the Suns at the Lakers we meet Kevin Durant against LeBron James again. 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Check the group chet

Chet Holmgren and Thunder make a big statement

Speaking of basketball, last night the Thunder traveled to Denver to take on the Nuggets. They walked away with an easy win that brought home the reality to every Nuggets player. The Western Conference is more likely to belong to the Thunder than to the 2023 NBA champions. Part of that has to do with the Nuggets not looking the same since their title run. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is gone. Jamal Murray could have been a monster. Russell Westbrook looked tough in his Nuggets debut.

The more shocking thing is that most of Thursday's loss has to do with how good the Thunder are. The TNT team brought a great perspective to this game. Instead of the Thunder going to Denver to prove they could play with the Nuggets, the opposite seemed to be at play. Last season, OKC defeated Denver 3-1 with two close wins, one blowout win and one blowout loss (first week of the season). If Denver wanted to prove it could play OKC, their message was simply, “No, you can't.”

What a start @KlayThompson Era in Dallas:

🔥 22 PTS on 7-13 FGM
🔥 7 REB, 3 STL

He starts @dallasmavs Record 6 three-pointers in his debut! pic.twitter.com/g3nQMBM9ty

– NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2024

Chet Holmgren (22 years old) was a monster. It might be the best game we've ever seen from him as a professional. Nikola Jokić had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds on the night. Holmgren surpassed him by dropping 25 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. He missed all five of his three-point shots, which didn't matter at all. Holmgren was physical and provided a presence. He upset Jokić a few times. The Thunder won an ugly rock battle 102-87 on the road at the “toughest venue.” And they handled Denver pretty well all Night.

More from last night:

Wolves 117, Kings 115: Julius Randle had a game-high 33, Anthony Edwards threw 32 and Naz Reid added 19 points, 13 rebounds and three assists off the bench. During the pregame show, the Kings broadcast said Reid had inherited Malik Monk's Sixth Man of the Year award from last season. Minnesota made 20 of 50 from deep.

Celtics 122, Wizards 102: There's plenty of time to focus on how great the Celtics are, but I want to talk about the Wizards. First, Jordan Poole looked like the guy we were hoping to see last season. He had 26 points on 9 of 17 from the field and 6 of 11 from deep. Here's the thing very Magical. The Wizards, who aren't named Jordan Poole, went 1 of 25 from 3-point range. Just look at that.

FIBA goalkeeper

Should the NBA adopt this rule?

During the broadcast of the Bucks' win over the 76ers on Wednesday night, there was a sideline moment in the first quarter when Bobby Portis sank a missed shot. Since the basket was waved away, it was an offensive goalkeeper play. Mike Breen asked on the show about the introduction of the FIBA/International rule that allows the ball to be touched as soon as it hits the rim. Richard Jefferson didn't like the idea.

“Let me say this with all due respect to FIBA ​​basketball and European basketball. There are far more athletic players here in the NBA. This is the best league in the world. I just think if you did that it would have a much bigger impact on the game than what people see internationally. We don't want that for the entire league. There are 6-foot-10 guys, 6-foot-10 guys who could do it.”

It's funny that this conversation came a day after the Celtics stunned the Knicks by making 29 3-point shots, tying the NBA record. It wasn't any worse because Boston missed its final 13 attempts to break the record. I've seen tweets and comments from people saying the Celtics' style of basketball is bad for the league. They lay down a ton of threes and do so with unreal accuracy. They are obviously so much more than that, but the copycat model that tries to achieve this will eventually catch on.

Some people have questioned whether this is a good style for the league. The second half of last season was fantastic considering basketball allows for more physical activity. It helped increase interest in the product as the offseason approached.

If the league wants a more physical product and more action on the edge, this would be the way to go. RJ said you would hire smaller people to do it? Secure. I don't think that's a bad thing. It creates a lot of action around the rim, and there are people trying to clear the ball off the rim and others trying to dunk it home. Maybe having so many people flying to the rim increases the risk of injury, but it would create an exciting product inside the arc.

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(Top photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images )