Klay Thompson‘s exit from the Golden State Warriors after 13 seasons was an emotional experience for the veteran guard and the team. He helped the franchise win four titles in eight years, leaving as arguably the second-greatest player in the team’s history, only behind Stephen Curry. Head coach Steve Kerr has been singing his praise since his departure and recently lauded his durability in the first half of his career.
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During an appearance on the Willard and Dibs show, the 58-year-old spoke about Thompson’s squeaky-clean injury record between 2014 and 2019 and revealed how the knee injuries that forced him to sit out for two years affected his career. Kerr said,
“From 2014-19, pre-injury, Klay was unflappable. He rarely required much maintenance from me as a coach. He was just so happy playing and playing at a high level. I would check in with him and he was always fine and loving life. That changed after the two injuries.”
Statistically, there wasn’t a major disparity in his impact before and after his two-year injury hiatus. From his rookie season until the 2018-19 campaign, the guard averaged 19.5 points on 45.6% shooting, including 41.8% from beyond the arc while also collecting 3.5 rebounds and dishing out 2.3 assists per game.
In the last three seasons, Thompson has averaged 19.7 points on 43% shooting, and 39.4% on three-point attempts, with 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. His stats from the two periods are nearly identical. However, his final season with the Warriors was a rough ride.
The veteran guard averaged only 17.9 points, making it the first campaign since his sophomore season where he scored less than 18 per game. He also banked only 38.7% of his shots from beyond the arc, failing to hit the 40% mark for only the second time in his career. His final game for the franchise encapsulated his horrendous campaign.
In a do-or-die play-in tournament game against the Sacramento Kings, Thompson went 0-of-10 from the field, including 0-of-6 from beyond the arc, and finished the game with no points. His performances throughout the season and in that game suggested that his time with the franchise needed to come to a close.
During his appearance on the Willard and Dibs show, Kerr admitted that Thompson needed a fresh start away from the Warriors. He added that he believes the guard will repair his reputation with his performances for the Dallas Mavericks next season,
“We were always in great stead with Klay in terms of our relationship and communicating how we felt about him. In the end, he really needed this career change and I think it’s going to be good for him.”
The four-time NBA champion will don a new jersey in the upcoming campaign hoping to find the joy that Kerr feels he lost after his injuries and add another ring to his collection.
