It's been a long time since Klay Thompson played like Klay Thompson. It's understandable, as the future Hall of Famer suffered a torn Achilles tendon and a torn ACL during what was meant to be the athletic prime of his career. The inevitable result has been Thompson struggling to rediscover the form that made him the NBA's premier 3-and-D wing.
Though Thompson may not fully get back to that level now that he's 36 years of age, the Miami Heat are uniquely structured to allow him to look like himself again on the offensive end of the floor.
The Heat signed Thompson with an apparent intention to utilize his shooting to optimize spacing. Spacing had been a question mark throughout the offseason, but by signing Thompson, Miami committed to featuring one of the best catch-and-shoot specialists in NBA history.
The hurdle, of course, was going to be finding ways to hide Thompson on defense and mask the flaws that have unfortunately overshadowed his continued efficiency from three.
For all of the criticism that Miami's roster has received, the one thing they indisputably have is the ideal surroundings for Thompson. With Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo anchoring a potentially elite defensive interior, and Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins doing the same along the perimeter, Thompson may finally be able to focus on what he can still do at a high level.
In the process, the player he once was may finally resurface as the Heat position him to maximize his impact by covering for his flaws and positioning him to play his ideal game at this stage of his career.
Heat have the personnel to bring the best out of Klay Thompson
Thompson averaged 21.6 points per game on .471/.423/.857 shooting between 2014-15 and 2018-19. Unfortunately, he missed the next two seasons with the aforementioned injuries. Though he averaged 19.9 points per contest over his final three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, he shot just 43.3 percent from the field—a sharp decline in efficiency.
Since then, Thompson has averaged 12.9 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field. He also declined defensively, which may be the most important issue of all..
In saying that, Thompson still scores with impressive volume on a per-36 basis and has maintained a high degree of efficiency from beyond the arc. Over the past two seasons, his averages have translated to 18.9 points per 36 minutes and he's shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Thompson buried an eye-opening 4.3 three-point field goals per 36 minutes during that time, which suggests that explosive shooting and scoring performances are still in his repertoire.
Heat have perfect pieces to mask Klay Thompson's flaws
The good news for Thompson is that his defensive surroundings are certifiably elite. Adebayo, for instance, has been named All-Defense in six of the past seven seasons. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is a former Defensive Player of the Year. Together, they should stifle slashers who get past Thompson.
Even more important than the elite defense behind Thompson, however, is the help he'll receive along the wings from starters Mitchell and Wiggins.
Mitchell is an elite guard defender who ranked in the 98th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index, and should thus prevent Thompson from having to defend guards with volume. Wiggins, meanwhile, is a true wing stopper who ranked in the 96th percentile in the same category.
With four starters who are capable of playing elite defense and a generational defensive mind in Erik Spoelstra as head coach, Thompson should be given a role that can limit wear and tear, as well as responsibility, on the defensive end of the floor.
Heat understand the value of catch-and-shoot threes
The final piece of the Thompson puzzle is the simple fact that Miami places a heavy emphasis on creating catch-and-shoot opportunities. The Heat ranked No. 4 in the NBA in catch-and-shoot three attempts in 2025-26, which was both elite and far ahead of Thompson's Mavericks ranking No. 25 in the same category.
As the preeminent catch-and-shoot force of his generation, Thompson should feast on the opportunity to play in a system that prioritizes ball and player movement.
Thompson still moves without the ball as well as just about anyone in the NBA. In a system that can simplify the game for him, Thompson's off-ball movement should be rewarded far more frequently and with far greater effect.
Thompson still needs to sort out his flaws and improve in key areas, but the Heat have the all but perfect personnel to highlight his strengths and mask his weaknesses in 2026-27.
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