Klay Thompson finally had the kind of night that can quiet a lot of noise.
On Friday against the Indiana Pacers, Thompson put up 25 points and three assists as the Heat rolled to a second straight double-digit win. More than the final line, it was the way he got there that mattered: he looked far more like the player Miami expected when it brought him in, and far less like the guard who had been stuck in an early-season rut.
The Heat are 2-4 now, and the timing of the breakout matters. Miami heads into a crucial five-game road trip with some momentum, and Thompson’s performance could be the kind of reset that changes the feel around him and the team.
Through the first five games, the numbers had been ugly by his standards. Thompson was averaging eight points per game and shooting 32 percent from 3-point range, a steep drop for a career 41 percent shooter from deep. For a starting shooting guard on a team already battling offensive issues, that simply wasn’t enough.
There had already been plenty of questions about whether Erik Spoelstra should take Thompson out of the starting five. That’s how quickly the conversation had turned after just a handful of games.
Against Indiana, though, Thompson looked like he had found his rhythm. He got off to a faster start than he had all season, scoring 10 points in the first half before really taking over in the third quarter. By the end of the night, he had knocked down 7 of 12 from beyond the arc.
That kind of efficiency is much closer to what Miami signed up for. It may not be realistic for Thompson to deliver 25 points every night, but the Heat don’t need that. They need him to shoot it at a level that matches his reputation and gives their offense a steadier edge.
For one night, at least, he did exactly that.
In Other News...
Pelle Larsson Is Becoming A Real Factor In Miamis Turnaround
Pelle Larssons early season start with the Heat was quiet enough that it would have been easy to overlook him, but the last stretch has made it clear he is settling into a much bigger role. Miami has leaned on him off the bench in recent games, and his value goes beyond scoring, with the second-year guard helping as a secondary ball-handler and fitting into the kind of lineups that can swing a game late.
The Heat clearly see him as part of their future, especially after giving him a four-year contract extension last season, and the praise has followed from inside and outside the locker room. Bam Adebayo has already spoken highly of Larsson, and so has Giannis Antetokounmpo, which says plenty about the impression he is making. For a team trying to keep its turnaround moving, Larssons rise has become one of the more encouraging developments to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Riley Suddenly Faces A Heat Question Nobody Wanted This Soon
The Heat expected a jolt after landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the early season has instead reopened an old Miami conversation about whether the roster is still built to keep up with the East. The slow start has put a spotlight on age, chemistry and whether the current mix has enough juice to match the standard Pat Riley has spent decades setting in South Florida.
So even with the deadline still months away, Miami is already being linked to possible fixes, with the front office said to be keeping an eye on Kyrie Irving and Dejounte Murray. Both have recently returned from major injuries and would qualify as clear talent upgrades on paper, but the bigger question is whether the Heat decide to stay patient with what they have or move early to shake up a group that has not looked right yet. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Suddenly Face A Real Kyrie Irving Dilemma
Kyrie Irvings name is already back in the middle of the NBA rumor cycle, and this time the chatter goes beyond the usual offseason noise. Sports Illustrateds Chris Mannix floated the idea that Irving could emerge as one of the leagues more sought-after trade targets during the season, with the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons mentioned as possible landing spots. For Miami, it is the kind of league-wide development worth watching closely, since any star-level movement can reshape the trade market and the competition around the East.
Irving has been productive since returning from an ACL injury, averaging 21.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting efficiently, and Dallas still values the leadership and presence he brings. Even so, the speculation has not gone away, and there has been no confirmation from the Mavericks that he is actually available. For now, the situation sits in that uneasy space between performance and possibility, with the real question being whether the noise around Irving turns into something more concrete as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]