The Golden State Warriors have had a turbulent 2023-24 season with injuries, suspensions, and some unfathomable losses. After a solid start to the season, the wheels had fallen off for the NBA championship franchise. However, the San Francisco team has found some stability over the past two weeks and is playing great basketball. They just have one more wrinkle to iron out – Klay Thompson.
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Klay Thompson’s season has emulated that of his franchise and has been very inconsistent. He has not looked like the Hall of Fame player we have gotten accustomed to seeing. Even during the Warriors’ recent 8-2 run, Thompson has been all over the place regarding his shooting and decision-making. This slew of bad performances forced the head coach to bring him off the bench for the first time in his career since 2012. And what a decision it turned out to be!
Warriors played their last game before the All-Star break against the Utah Jazz, and Thompson was asked to come off the bench. The player embraced the role and came out with blazing guns. He scored a season-high 35 points, played solid defense, and did not turn over the ball. He looked like the Klay Thompson of old. It would be premature to overreact to one performance, but the four-time champion did look more comfortable on the court.
Thompson’s performance became the conversation point for all NBA media shows. ESPN’s ‘First Take’ Analyst – Stephen A. Smith, gave his viewpoint and kept it very real. He acknowledged his performance but did not overreact because he believes Klay has set himself to higher standards over the years. With examples of his record-breaking performances, Smith believes that the NBA player has more to offer. Here is what he said:
“….We are talking about one of the greastest shooters in the history of the league. So what I want a guy like Klay Thompson to hear is two things. Don’t try to get over, bro. Ain’t nobody saying Klay Thompson can’t play. Ain’t nobody saying that Klay Thompson isn’t a future Hall of Famer. Ain’t nobody saying that Klay Thompson is not one of the greatest shooter this game has ever known. What we are saying is, you haven’t measured up to the standards that you have spoilt us with over the course of your career before you got injured.”
The NBA Analyst talked about the Warriors player going 0-4 in the fourth quarter despite having his best game of the season. Klay has been struggling to perform in the fourth quarter. After two major career-altering injuries, his legs seemed to run out of juice. The analyst also believes the NBA champion will thrive coming off the bench, as it will lead to less exhaustion and pressure to perform from the jump. Smith was adamant in pointing out that these performances were not a knock on the player, and most of the franchises would avail his services without batting an eye.
It’s hard to disagree with Stephen A. Smith’s comments about Klay Thompson. The player has most certainly set incredibly high standards for himself. And so, while the performance against the Jazz is a start, there is more to the road that Thompson is on. Now, the only hope is that he doesn’t go awry all over again.
Klay Thompson to continue off the bench
After his scintillating performance off the bench, one would assume that Klay Thompson will be back in the starting five. However, that will not be the case. After the game, Golden State Warriors head coach – Steve Kerr confirmed that he would be trying out this new line-up for the near future unless he sees any reason otherwise. Here is what he said:
“Klay coming off the bench gives us a lot of firepower. We’ll give it a little look and see where it goes from there.”
Klay’s recent struggles did force Kerr’s hand into starting him off the bench, but that’s not the only reason. The head coach likes what he is seeing from the rookie – Brandin Podziemski, and believes he gives the starting five a better flow. Thompson has embraced the new challenge from his coach and said the following in the post-game conference:
“Throughout the game, when I’m running with the second unit, I realised I might be more of a focal point to the offense. That’s a fun role to play. I just wanted to take it upon myself to prove to coach [Steve Kerr] that I was going to respond like the champ I am.”
Though one game is a small sample size, the Warriors will feel like this could be the beginning of something new. With the team playing better overall since the return of Draymond Green and the resurgence of Jonathan Kuminga, the San Francisco franchise can make some waves in the post-season. However, they cannot do it without Klay Thompson, and this could be a brilliant step towards unlocking the future Hall of Fame player.
