Golden State Warriors: Examining Klay Thompson through 3 games
Despite a recent slump, this has been an almost unimaginably good start to the season for the Golden State Warriors.
They’ve taken down teams like the Nets, Bulls, and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference and then also defeated opponents like the Jazz, Suns, Clippers, and Lakers in the Western Conference. It’s just been an outstanding season to date for the Dubs.
The Golden State Warriors have been graced with Klay Thompson’s on-court presence for three games. Let’s dive into how he’s played.
One clear highlight was when five-time All-Star guard Klay Thompson took the court for the first time since mid-2019.
While Thompson was projected to return this year, the original return date was set for Christmas Day against the Suns. That didn’t pan out, and the Warriors were graced with his presence on the court for a big-time win over a surging Cavaliers team last Sunday.
The 6-foot-6 31-year-old scored 17 points on 18 shots in his first game back in action. Through 3 games, Thompson is averaging 14 points per game while shooting 36% from the field, having played in 20 minutes per game.
Inserting Thompson into the lineup hasn’t necessarily been easy on the other starters either. Andrew Wiggins‘ play has suffered as he learns to acclimate his game to Thompson’s as well. Even Stephen Curry‘s shooting slump has continued, although that’s by no means on Thompson.
As for Thompson himself, he’s played about as expected. The shots are there and the bounce has been there as well. What isn’t there is the efficiency, and that certainly is a product of having not played at an NBA pace for two and a half years.
It’s still too early to judge what Thompson can bring to this specific team. What we’ve seen so far, especially the two-hand slam he had in his return, should provide enough promise that the old Thompson is back, despite his shooting woes through three games.
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That said, as he starts to pick back up the pace and find his rhythm, bigger things should be on the horizon for the star guard.