On the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the panel made assumptions as to why Klay Thompson might be jealous of Draymond Green. At first, it seems rather bizarre as the duo have been teammates for more than a decade and have won four titles together. However, when Gilbert Arenas revealed that Thompson rejected the $48 million extension earlier this summer, it seems understandable why Green’s $100 million contract extension wouldn’t sit well with him.
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When asked who is most needed for the Warriors, Gilbert Arenas claimed to prioritise Klay over Green. However, as per Brandon Jennings, Thompson might be a little bit insecure considering that the Golden State Warriors filled Green’s pocket before his.
Arenas: “The one I need the most right now is Klay and the reason I need that because it frees up everything and it even actually makes Dray play better.”
Jennings: “I think Klay feels, ‘they should’ve took care of me before Dray’.”
Interestingly, all the panel members agreed to Jennings’ claim.
To be fair to the Warriors franchise, the two-year, $48 million extension that they offered the Splash Brother was almost equivalent to Green’s four-year, $100 million contract. $24 million per year for Thompson was quite generous an offer made by the front office. Now, looking at the horrific form he is in, reports suggest that the deal is now off the table.
Klay Thompson hasn’t found his rhythm yet
Klay Thompson has been struggling to find his rhythm. Despite recording the worst field-goal percentage of his career, Thompson was often prioritised over the younger and in-form players to close out games.
Steve Kerr even displayed his faith in the sharpshooter when he subbed out Moses Moody, who was 4/4 from the field in the fourth period, against the Sacramento Kings.
However, during the Warriors’ recent clash against the Phoenix Suns, Kerr made the decision to bench Thompson. The 6ft 6” guard recorded merely 7 points on 20% FG and 12.5% 3FG. Instead, rookie Brandin Podziemski was allowed to close the game out.
Of course, Klay wasn’t a huge fan of the head coach’s decision. However, despite believing that the decision was a “strange” one, he admitted that he “deserved” to be sidelined.
The Warriors have been performing poorly this campaign. Sitting 11th in the West with a 10-13 record, the Bay Area side is three games behind the current 8th seed. Klay Thompson’s unproductive campaign has greatly affected the team’s failure. Certainly, the veteran will have to step up big time to help Stephen Curry lead the team to more wins.
