The Miami Heat aren't asking Klay Thompson to become the player who scored 37 points in a quarter or helped lead Golden State to multiple championships.

They just need him to do one thing really well: make defenses pay for looking away.

At 36, Thompson may not be the same defender or shot creator he once was, but his shooting can still change the way teams guard Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he finds open space and knocks down threes, that could be enough to take Miami’s new offense to a whole other level.

Miami Needs Klay’s Reputation As Much As His Shot

The numbers for Thompson last season in Dallas don’t exactly scream “still got it.” He averaged a career-low 11.7 points and started just eight of his 69 games.

But the shot was still there. Thompson made 202 threes and shot 38.3 percent from deep while playing only 21.7 minutes a night. It was also his 11th season making at least 200 threes, which is a pretty good reminder that this is still the one thing he does better than almost anyone.

That’s why the fit makes sense. Thompson isn’t just a guy who can stand in the corner and wait for a pass. He took 7.6 threes a game last year, and his release is still quick enough that defenders have to keep track of him before the ball even gets there.

That matters a lot next to Antetokounmpo. Teams have spent years trying to slow Giannis by packing the paint and sending extra defenders at him before he gets to the rim. It hasn’t exactly worked — he still averaged 27.6 points on 62.4 percent shooting in an injury-shortened season — but it’s still the obvious plan against one of the most unstoppable downhill players in the league.

Now imagine Thompson drifting to the three-point line as Giannis attacks. A defender can take a step toward Giannis and risk giving one of the best shooters in NBA history a clean look, or stay glued to Thompson and leave Giannis with one less body in the paint.

Miami’s happy with either choice.

The Rest Of His Game Is The Risk

The Heat can’t let the name do all the talking here. Thompson shot just 39.3 percent from the field last season and made only 41.8 percent of his two-point attempts. When teams chased him off the three-point line, he didn’t have the same burst or playmaking to make those closeouts pay like he used to.

His defense has changed, too. Thompson can still use his size and experience to hold his own, but asking him to chase elite guards around all night isn’t realistic anymore. The torn ACL, torn Achilles, and Father Time have taken too much of his lateral quickness for that.

The good news is that Erik Spoelstra has enough help around him. Davion Mitchell can take the toughest point-of-attack assignment. Andrew Wiggins can handle bigger wings, and Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo give Miami two elite defenders behind the play.

That should let Thompson take on a more manageable matchup and save his legs for the thing Miami actually brought him in to do. It also helps that Tim Hardaway Jr. is already on the roster. Thompson doesn’t have to start just because of his resume, and Spoelstra won’t have to keep him on the floor when a matchup starts going sideways.

Miami Paid For A Specialist, Not A Savior

Dallas bought out the last $17.5 million of Thompson’s old contract after going 26-56, giving him a chance to go and find a contender. Miami reportedly got him for about $11.5 million over two years, with Thompson holding an option on the second season.

That price makes this a lot easier to understand.

The Heat went 43-39 and lost in the play-in before blowing up the roster to bring in Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. They gave up Tyler Herro and a couple other young players to make that happen. Thompson isn’t another huge swing. He’s the affordable piece meant to help the huge swing work.

There are still some obvious spacing concerns with Giannis and Adebayo sharing the frontcourt. Neither guy is going to be treated like a real shooting threat in a playoff series, and adding one famous shooter doesn’t suddenly fix all of that.

But it does fill a very obvious hole. Thompson has made 2,899 threes in his career, putting him just 74 behind former Heat star Ray Allen. Even now, defenders still have to stay attached to him, and that can pull one more body away from the paint.

For Giannis, one step can be enough.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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