Klay Thompson's bold promise to Mavericks is finally aging beautifully

When the Dallas Mavericks signed Klay Thompson early into free agency, the NBA world was truly split when it came to how they felt about the move.

Some fans and media thought that Thompson was going to be the missing piece that Dallas desperately needed to get over the top and win their first championship since 2011, while others felt that he was nowhere near the player that he once was and would struggle in Dallas.

In Dallas' first 30 games he has been excellent, and one statement that he made after the Mavs' October 24 opening night win over the San Antonio Spurs has aged beautifully over the last few weeks.

Thompson's 30-game promise from after his debut was spot-on

After Thompson's impressive debut, he was asked how long he thought it would take to get used to playing for the Mavs and gain chemistry with his new teammates, and his honest answer was spot-on to what has transpired as the season has progressed.

Thompson said that it could take up to 30 games for this to happen, and he couldn't have been more right. Over the last seven games, Thompson has averaged 18.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from downtown, and he is getting more comfortable in Dallas' offense every single game.

He did not have the start to the season that Mavs fans may have wanted, but now he is cooking with gas and truly looking like Dallas' third star. His shooting off the catch has been unbelievable recently, and he has even looked better when scoring inside the arc. His struggles from two-point range seemed like a confidence thing early on, but now he looks much more comfortable when attacking the rim and putting the ball on the deck.

Thompson nor the Mavs were ever in a rush when it came to him fitting in, and their patience in this area has been huge in getting him rolling. It has allowed Jason Kidd to experiment and find the best ways to use him, and the results could only intensify even more following Luka Doncic's calf strain that he suffered on Christmas Day.

Thompson is going to be one of the many Mavericks forced to step up during Doncic's absence, and he is more than capable of that. Dallas will have to find new ways to get him involved considering that he almost always shares the floor with Doncic, and this injury to Dallas' superstar could end up being a good thing when it comes to Thompson continuing to improve in his role.

Thompson may not be getting the same cross-court skip passes that Mavericks fans are used to seeing Doncic throw to him, but it could allow him to continue to get into a groove while shooting two-pointers and get used to being a secondary scorer rather than just a shooter. Thompson and Kyrie Irving are going to have to hold down the fort while Doncic is out, and Mavs fans can only pray that they can continue to play well moving forward. Dallas is 6-2 in games without Doncic this season, and Thompson and Irving will be huge difference-makers when it comes to keeping the wins rolling in.

The numbers recently back up the fact that Thompson is getting fully used to how the Mavs are using him and what they need from him, and his statement that he made at the beginning of the season has aged like fine wine. He was overwhelmingly honest about knowing that his fit wasn't going to be immediate, and him accepting that and embracing the journey has been pivotal for his development as a Maverick.