Klay Thompson is forever etched as one of the greatest players in Golden State Warriors history, but the veteran sharpshooter also built a reputation as a notoriously slow starter in seasons throughout his time with the franchise.
That issue seems to now be stemming into first season with the Miami Heat, having endured a rough preseason personally despite a promising start from the team as they integrate Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thompson and other key members into their rotation.
Klay Thompson's rough preseason brings back familiar Warriors concerns
Thompson went scoreless in his preseason debut with the Heat, and it didn't get any better from their as the 5x All-Star struggled to find his rhythm and shooting stroke across four games. He averaged just 4.3 points during preseason, shooting a paltry 26.9% (7-of-26) from the floor and 15% (3-of-20) from 3-point range.
The good news for Thompson is that the starting lineup still proved relatively productive, not that plus-minus necessarily means too much during preseason. The bad news for Thompson is that Tim Hardaway Jr., another notable arrival in free agency who could take some of his minutes, had a very good preseason by comparison.
Hardaway averaged 11.5 points in less than 15 minutes, shooting an electric 55.6% from the floor and 42.1% from 3-point range on nearly five attempts per game. Pelle Larsson also ranked third on the team in scoring during preseason, placing more intrigue on the minutes dispersion between he, Thompson and Hardaway entering the regular season.
The Heat will hold optimism in Thompson turning his fortunes around once the regular season gets underway, but they won't simply play through his shooting struggles now the win-loss matters and with Hardaway and Larsson as options off the bench.
Klay Thompson no longer holds same stature he did with Warriors
Thompson was able to play through his shooting struggles during his prime years with Golden State. He was an All-Star level player who Steve Kerr had complete faith in, and he was still bringing value on the defensive end as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Perhaps the most memorable example of these early struggles came in the 2018-19 season when Thompson shot less than 40% from the floor and a lowly 13.9% from 3-point range over his first seven games. He then exploded for a record-breaking 14 threes and 52 points in Chicago, making a mockery of his form entering the game.
But Thompson is no longer an All-Star level player, and he's coming off the worst year of his career with the Dallas Mavericks. He therefore can't afford a slow start to the regular season, otherwise the four-time champion will find himself on the bench more often than not.
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