Klay Thompson, a guard for the Golden State Warriors, has started all 49 games this season despite his difficulties. Against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, that will change as Thompson will make his first appearance off the bench since 2012. Although Thompson has started a number of games this season on the bench, this will be the first time he does so. It appears that Steve Kerr’s loss to the LA Clippers on Wednesday night was all the information he required to make this choice.
Even if Thompson coming off the bench appeared to be the direction Golden State was going, this is still a surprising development because the four-time champion hasn’t played off the bench in more than ten years. Nevertheless, it’s obvious that the Warriors believe they have the best chance of winning, and Thompson has publicly stated that he is amenable to playing a smaller role in the future.
Thompson recently stated, “I’ll be 35 next year,” and added, “There’s nothing wrong with a reduced role down the road,” in an interview with Logan Murdock of The Ringer. Even at 35, having recovered from an ACL and an Achilles [tear], I still have the potential to be a really talented player. Though perhaps not the player who set an NBA record with 37 points in a quarter and scored 60 points in three quarters, he is still a serious threat. My style of play is based on Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, two players who were very successful up until their late 30s. I therefore intend to sort of follow that pattern.”
Although Thompson may not have expected this reduced position as soon as it did, Kerr believes that it is now ideal for the team.
Klay Thompson, a star player for the Golden State Warriors, is known for playing with a chip on his shoulder, and this season he might be more focused than ever. Amid reports about he and the Warriors being far apart on a contract extension, Thompson shared a strong message on Instagram with Tupac’s “Me Against the World” and a caption that read, “The type an energy I’m on all season.”
