Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson needs to accept a smaller role

Klay Thompson has been a key piece of the Golden State Warriors for years. During this time, he has seen plenty of ups and downs but has ultimately been a major part of four NBA championships.

Although Thompson may be 4-1 when healthy in the Finals, father time remains undefeated — even if those constant Nike commercials featuring LeBron James say otherwise. With age, most players see a decline in productivity and an increase in injuries. We are already seeing this with Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Thompson’s teammate Draymond Green.

What do all of these players have in common? They are all on the wrong side of thirty and have either spent significant times on the sidelines, or are struggling to cope with a smaller role. Thompson falls right into the middle of this group in terms of age, and has also suffered two career-altering, major injuries.

It’s difficult to envisage Klay Thompson returning to peak form, so what type of role should he take with the Golden State Warriors moving forward?

Thompson averaged 19 points per game last postseason, but he still wasn’t the same despite the Warriors eventual triumph. He only really had two or three good games, and aside from that, shot a below average clip without really swaying the outcome of games.

Thompson is still an elite shooter, if not better in the mid-range than he was four years ago. This still makes him an incredibly useful three-and-D style player, and his sheer perimeter threat is valuable even while still trying to find a rhythm from beyond the arc.

Unfortunately, he is no longer capable of consistently beating players off the dribble, meaning his ability to get clean looks off self-creation is severely limited. This was a recurring issue during the playoffs as well, but the Warriors defense was often good enough to counteract a rough scoring game.

With a worse defense than they had last year, the Warriors no longer have the leeway to afford Thompson having shooting nights like 5-for-14 from the field or 1-for-8 from three-point range. Reducing him to a spot up corner shooter would be ideal, mixed with the odd pull-up mid-range jumpshot after a clever shot fake.

A solid comparison would be Ray Allen with the Boston Celtics in 2008, a player who was still contributing heavily to victories and ultimately a championship. A semi-driving threat, but more so simply a dangerous three-point shooter. Thompson is still a better defender than Allen ever was with the Celtics, so he could be a defense-first player rather than a player who focuses primarily on offense.

This would allow the Warriors to keep their golden trio as long as possible while maximizing the value from each of them as they age. Thompson is a fan favorite in the Bay Area, and a player that means a lot to every Warriors fan worldwide. It’s difficult to admit, but accepting that his career is declining can ensure he continues to bring value to the team moving forward.