NBA: Power ranking the 30 projected starting small forwards on each team

16. Klay Thompson, Dallas Mavericks

It's safe to say that the best days of Klay Thompson's career are likely behind him but I am increasingly intrigued by his decision to sign with the Dallas Mavericks. He's almost certainly going to be the starter next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. While he doesn't have to be an extremely productive offensive player, he will be asked to defend and perhaps even be that primary wing defender in the starting lineup. Ultimately, that could be where this entire experiment crumbles for the Mavs.

One of the bigger questions that will end up determining how this trio works is whether they have enough on the defensive end of the floor. I'm not sure the answer to that question is simple. Klay used to be a great defender and one of the best two-way stars in the league. He's no longer that player anymore.

Will that matter? I tend to believe it will. And if it does, this addition may not work all that well for the Mavs in the long run. In a vacuum, though, Klay is still one of the better starting small forwards in the league.