After blowing a 24-point lead against the Sacramento Kings in their NBA In-Season Tournament group stage elimination match, the Golden State Warriors ought to be inconsolable. Despite starting the regular season with a 6-2 record, they seem strangely optimistic about dropping below.500. Even though Klay Thompson is the Warrior with the greatest cause for concern, he is the most relaxed. Now that he’s firing bricks at the rim, Thompson may add an addition to the Chase Center compound.

When a reporter questioned Thompson on Monday about his difficulties with shooting, Thompson became enraged and answered defiantly.

“You want me to put in a bench?” Thompson enquired. Thompson responded after learning from the reporter that he never said that. It’s okay to suggest it, you can.

Thompson went on, “I don’t care what people think.” They seem not to do what we do. What we can do, they cannot. They converse because of this. Why would I do that? Come on, please. At this stage of my life, I don’t give a damn what people think, ha! Next query.

Media snobs like Stephen A. Smith and close colleagues Paul Pierce made fun of Thompson for his remarks. Pierce attributed Thompson’s defensive mistakes to the inevitable passage of time, while Smith provoked as usual by calling Thompson’s play “hot trash.” Stephen A. felt obliged to speak disrespectfully to Thompson out of a sense of loyalty to his brand, but that’s a significant overreaction to a 17-game losing streak. Though it may come across as conceit gone wild, Thompson has a point when he talks casually about his difficult start to the season. Basketball in November and December is full of illusions. Consider Thompson as an illustration. Ever since he recovered from an ACL tear and Achilles rupture, Thompson has been subjected to these Washed Klay inquiries year. Additionally, he has refuted the false accusations each year.

In January 2022, after missing two and a half years of action, Thompson was a completely different player. In his first ten games back, he made just 33% of his 3-point tries. He hit 40 percent from deep and averaged 22 a night after finding his groove and the bottom of the net after a month of getting his legs under him. Thompson was a disaster the previous season in the first month of Golden State’s title defense, leaving reporters like myself to worry if one half of the Splash Brothers duo was finally coming to an end.

Thompson’s 17 points per night on 40% field goal and 39% three-point shooting through 15 games of the previous season were appalling. Following the month of November, Thompson shot over 40 percent from downtown, averaging 23 points per game, and drained 301 triples, which was a career record. Do you recognize this? Despite Curry missing a significant portion of the campaign, the Warriors starting lineup finished with the second-highest net rating for a five-man group in the NBA.

With 18 games played so far this season, Thompson is averaging 15 each night, but just 40 percent of his throws are made from long range (36.4 percent). Both Klay and I are unsure if this will pass, but we do know from very recent past that Thompson’s engine may be a touch shaky at first. Though there are moments when you have to jiggle the keys a little, Thompson has shown that he can still get into Game 6 Klay mode once he cranks it up. He struggles defensively against guards who move more quickly, but evaluating him based only on his first 15 or 20 games isn’t a fair way to assess his generational shooting talent.

Is he making poor attempts? Yes, but does Thompson really account for Golden State’s current low? Well, no. Curry blew a chance for a Thompson comeback in the final seconds of Tuesday’s game when he attempted a long-range shot with his Splash Brother wide open. Although age and the league have caught up to them, their starting lineup is still capable of going blow for blow with anyone.

Naturally, there are unique conditions that set this year’s Klay slump apart from the previous one. First of all, there is concern that periodic downturns portend a long-term collapse. According to ESPN, Thompson’s scoring slump of 13 games in a row with fewer than 20 points was the longest it has been since his rookie season.

Second, there is conflict within the company regarding Thompson’s contract, which is set to expire. Thompson wants a max contract, but the front staff isn’t in accord since they don’t think his play merits $60 million annually at the ages of 35, 36, and 37.

Andrew Wiggins is one someone the Warriors should be concerned about. Thompson is no stranger to comebacks. However, Wiggins’ floor is stickier. The previous first overall pick was dismissed by Golden State due to his lackluster performance in Minnesota, which made him a contract albatross. Currently one of the least effective shooters in the NBA, he has a four-year, $109 million contract that keeps him firmly attached to the Warriors.

In regards to Thompson, at least, the Warriors are in the lead. Both literally and figuratively, Thompson’s ship is berthed in their bay. Golden State has very little chance of selling a Splash Brother, and it’s far too soon to give up on Klay.