NBA Notes: Mavs, Klay Thompson, Knicks, Mikal Bridges, Timberwolves

“I hadn’t been that nervous since the 2015 [NBA] Finals, Game 1,” Thompson said, via Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “It felt so good to just get out there and play, and work those jitters out, because it was a new experience. It’s a natural feeling when you’ve been somewhere so long. … To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing.”

Thompson missed his first three attempts before taking a seat on the bench. He said he just needed to “sit down and breathe and realize it was just basketball” before rediscovering his stride.

“I think Klay’s a weapon, no matter how fast he gets it or how closely he’s guarded,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s able to get his shot up and he’s done that his whole career. For him tonight, there’s a lot of positives. He had some great looks that we all know he’s capable of making. He never rushes. He never forces anything. He probably turned down some shots that we would encourage for him to take. We trust that he’s making the right decision if he does turn it down to get something better.”

• Kidd added that Thompson and Kyrie Irving already seem to have some pretty decent chemistry. “The chemistry with those two has been strong in practice,” Kidd told Mavericks reporters. “Seeing them together in a game setting was great, and it’s only going to get better as we keep working toward the regular season.”

Knicks

Mikal Bridges has quietly turned into the NBA’s ironman, holding the league’s longest active streak at 474 consecutive games.

But even he admits that A.C. Green‘s all-time mark of 1,192 games is likely out of reach. As reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Bridges said there’s a bit of luck involved in his streak. 

“People ask me what the secret is, and I’m like, ‘I’m blessed,'” he said.

He pointed to his slim frame as being a benefit rather than a hindrance. “I’ve got skinny bones that hold up well,” Bridges added, mentioning the importance of recovery, lifting, and doing everything possible to stay on the court.

• Josh Hart spoke about the sting of losing Donte DiVincenzo in the deal that sent him to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. Hart wasn’t shy about how tough it was to see DiVincenzo go. “It’s part of the business. I get it,” Hart told The Athletic’s James L. Edwards. “But I miss my dog.”

Timberwolves

The Timberwolves are betting big with their roster overhaul following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, but per Mark Medina of Athlon Sports, optimism is clearly running high in Minnesota.

Coach Chris Finch and his players sure don’t seem to be shying away from the challenge.

“There will be a pretty big learning curve,” Finch said. “I’m pretty confident that there are going to be rough edges that we want to smooth out.”

Minnesota had been eyeing Donte DiVincenzo for a while, and now he’s set to address some of the Wolves’ spacing issues after a standout year with the Knicks. But perhaps the most intriguing piece of the puzzle is Julius Randle.

With the team likely leaning more on Naz Reid, there’s already some debate over how Randle will fit and who’s going to earn minutes in those critical late-game situations.

“I see us fitting together extremely well,” Randle said, brushing off any concerns. “If you look at my career, I’ve always prided myself on adaptability.”

Finch, for his part, plans to give Randle more playmaking duties, which could add another layer to Minnesota’s offense.

Randle, however, is laser-focused on just one thing — winning.

“At this stage of my career, all that matters is winning,” Randle said. “I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on the individual scale. But I want to win.”

• For the Timberwolves, the pieces are in place, but how quickly they can gel will determine just how far they can go. We have more in our Wolves season preview here.