The rocky start to Klay Thompson‘s regular season has proved to become disruptive for the Golden State Warriors. His off-form has been hurting the team’s balance with the talisman Stephen Curry having to take on added responsibilities. Amidst the concerns, Gilbert Arenas candidly shared his views on Klay’s future with the Bay Area in the latest episode of The Right Time with Bomani Jones.
Advertisement
Paying respect to Stephen’s attributes as an NBA star, the former player raised question marks over his decision-making. “I think Steph feels that just a piece here and there will be right back because of his excellence,” Gilbert mentioned. He pointed out the flaw in the approach highlighting, “I don’t think he has realized that he has gotten actually better each year but the supporting cast hasn’t”.
Continuing on his standpoint, the 3x All-Star shed light on how Thompson’s inability to enhance his skillset cost him with age. As the 33-year-old failed to add new basketball moves to his arsenal, his actions on the court might have become predictable over time. “I think the same Klay – pump fake, one dribble to the right or to the left, shot, come off, quick shot – it’s catching up with him,” Arenas declared.
Following this, the sports analyst reminisced about the 4x champion’s desire to be in the thick of things soon after his comeback from injury. Despite this, Klay slid into his comfort zone soon after, as the 41-year-old discussed openly. Gilbert mentioned, “When he started getting back healthy, he went right back to what we were used to seeing”.
After this, Arenas explained how a change in mindset could well be the need of the hour for the Dubs while using LeBron James‘ career as a reference. He applauded the 19x All-Star’s desire to win by putting the limelight on his lack of hesitation in getting rid of his friend, Carmelo Anthony when required. “He [LeBron James] got Carmelo [Anthony] out of there,” Gilbert stated before adding, “He has perfected the friendship-basketballship very well”.
What does the future hold for Klay Thompson at this stage?
Despite a reality check from Arenas, the Warriors have always promoted a sustainable franchise culture through their actions. So, they offered Klay a 2-year $48 million contract to retain him at San Francisco. But the player rejected the offer, deeming it lower than his value in the NBA market.
Since then, there has been no news of the parties meeting to resolve the situation. With the shooting guard’s current deal expiring at the end of the season, his future right now hangs in the air. His poor displays for his side have made a renegotiation more unlikely than before with the roster being in desperate need of rebuilding.
Thompson has been vocal about retiring in California after representing the state since 2011. As things stand, it would require a stint of consistent performances from the 6’6 guard to achieve his dream. “It’s just me against the world,” was his motto at the start of the campaign. The time has arrived for him to walk the talk like never before.
