The Mavericks are giving Klay Thompson the gift the Warriors gave him

The Dallas Mavericks gave a taste of their preseason games last Monday when they played the Memphis Grizzlies in the first of four preseason games.

While the game may not have resulted in a win, there were still plenty of positive takeaways. A key takeaway from last Monday's loss to the Grizzlies was that the Mavericks have a deep training camp roster after Jazian Gortman's breakthrough performance.

Despite the loss to Memphis, the Mavericks still had a lot to fall back on when Klay Thompson made his Mavericks debut against the Utah Jazz a few days later in the second of Dallas' four preseason games.

Not only was Thompson electrifying in his few minutes on the pitch, but the former four-time champion proved many doubters wrong with his excellent on-ball defense. Thompson was often substituted for taller players to correct imbalances, but his aggressive style of play led to many deflected balls.

Since joining Dallas in the offseason, Thompson has expressed his excitement about being a Maverick, and his play in his debut only proved that.

It was no surprise to basketball fans that Thompson chose to join a new team rather than stick with the franchise where he had played the first 12 seasons of his career. While the move to the Mavericks was still a shock, Thompson recently revealed how unhappy he was in his final two seasons with Golden State in a viral YouTube video with Tristan Jass.

“The last two years have been so hard for me,” Thompson said. “I got so much other crap going through my head and I forgot why I was really playing the game.”

Thompson went on to tell the audience that you should never let other people's expectations dictate the way you play. Last season, Thompson averaged nearly 18 points while shooting 39 percent from behind the arc. For any other sharpshooter in the NBA, these numbers would be astounding, but because it was Thompson, many would consider last year a bad year.

Additionally, Thompson was often scrutinized by Warriors fans for his poor shot attempts and lack of defense on the other end of the court. Not only could Thompson be asked to take more shots in Dallas, but the pressure of being one of the team's two best offensive players will be lifted off his shoulders when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are on the court.

Since joining Dallas, Thompson has often described how excited he is to play for the Mavericks and for a team that has the potential to win a championship with him now on the roster.

Not only are fans seeing Thompson's love of the game coming back since joining the Mavs, but the sharpshooter could be having his best season since tearing his Achilles tendon in November 2020. Thompson will likely get some of the most open shot attempts in a season since Kevin Durant last played for the Warriors in 2019.

Not only will Thompson be playing with a weight off his shoulders after leaving the Warriors, but the four-time champion is finally in a place where he feels welcome. Under head coach Jason Kidd, Thompson is asked to play his brand of basketball, which only frees the 34-year-old from the expectations.