"More important to the offense": Mavericks fans covet Klay Thompson as 5th starter over $7,714,286 POA defender

When the Dallas Mavericks needed a three-point shooter to bolster their offense, they went and got one of the greatest of all time. Klay Thompson was going to provide some much-needed spacing and three-point shooting.

Thompson's first year away from the Bay Area was a bit of a mixed bag. He averaged 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 3.0 three-pointers per game on 41/39/90 shooting splits.

Now, one year later, the fans are debating whether he should keep his starting spot ahead of the season opener, and they took to social media to make their case for or against him.

Here are the best reactions:

DOM 🏀

@OfficialDomNBA

@NationMffl Unless Klay is on an insane cold streak, there isn’t any way Max starts over him

Ben Hill

@BenHilly94

@NationMffl Unless they run that massive lineup with both Coop and PJ starting (which they really can’t do unless Flagg’s three point shot is real) it has to be Klay.

Other fans believe it's just a matter of time before Max Christie, who's making $7,714,286, takes over his minutes:

Timmytheinventor 🇦🇺 🇳🇬

@Jubbitie

@NationMffl Klay, but Christie should start at some point in the season

JT Morales

@kickbackmorales

@NationMffl Klay will start, but maybe play for like 2-3 minutes; then get sub. I believe that’s the only reason he signed with the Mavs bc he was promised a starting role.

Brian T. Stoner, CPA

@bstonercpa

@NationMffl I think Max should start, but I will not be surprised if Klay starts.

The former Warriors star has been in the league for 14 seasons, and he's been a starter since his second year in the league. Then again, he's also a proven competitor, so he might welcome going to the bench if that helps the team.

Klay Thompson isn't guaranteed to start for the Mavericks

All this speculation didn't come out of the blue. Mavs coach Jason Kidd admitted that he's experimenting with a bigger lineup, and that obviously means Thompson would be the first player off the bench:

“We had the big group out there,” Kidd told reporters at training camp. “Ryan (Nembhard) running the point with Cooper, D-Live (Dereck Lively II), AD (Anthony Davis), and PJ (Washington).”

D'Angelo Russell could also be another factor there, but so far, it seems like Kidd has been quite fond of Max Christie's development, and while Thompson is known for his defensive prowess, he's lost a step on that end of the floor. Christie, on the other hand, is improving as a defender:

"Max, his ability to play both ends, play any position as a wing," Kidd said on Sunday. "You can see the hard work that he's put in this summer is a carryover as to why he's having success now. For him, we're gonna need him. He can start, he can come off the bench, so he's going to play a lot of minutes for us."

At the end of the day, Thompson is a veteran and a professional, and he must be aware of the fact that he's inching closer to the end of the line than to his prime. And with the Mavs fighting for a championship, they might have to make some tough decisions.