The Klay Thompson experiment is starting to look like a bad gamble by the Mavericks

Coming off their triumphant run in the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks made some bold offseason moves to strengthen an already-talented roster and set their sights on another championship banner. Their ambition was most evident in the addition of longtime Golden State Warriors forward Klay Thompson.

A 5-time All Star, Thompson joined a talented Mavericks team that built one of the best backcourts in basketball with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. On the surface, it seemed like a layup for the Dallas Mavericks, who were hoping last year's run to the Finals wasn't a fluke.

However, the first month of the season has been underwhelming for the Mavs and Thompson, as the future Hall of Famer is not playing up to the usual standard he set during his time in the Bay Area.

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On paper, Thompson's skillset was a perfect fit for the Mavericks' star-studded lineup. His reputation as an elite floor-spacer and a consistent scorer during his time with the Golden State Warriors was a beacon of hope for the team.

However, his performance has yet to meet the Mavericks' expectations. While Thompson is still a threat from downtown — shooting 36.8 percent, his scoring output has not been as consistent as the team had hoped, which is impacting the team's offensive rhythm.

The four-time all-star is currently averaging 13.2 points per game, down from the season prior, and he has some putrid shooting nights throughout the season and run the risk of being benched.

Former Pelicans wing Naji Marshall has been solid in minutes, and they get a boost from Spencer Dinwiddie when he's locked in and Quentin Grimes when given consistent minutes.

It's still early in the season, so it's still time for Thompson to turn things around. A player of his caliber can still be a solid contributor on a team that wants to make a deep playoff run. However, Thompson needs to be more than a semi-efficient, 13 point-per-game shooter if he wants to live up to the expectations Dallas had for him.