With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green as their Hall of Fame core, the Golden State Warriors’ championship days are numbered. Even though the Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz 118-110 on Sunday, it is improbable that they will finish higher than 10th in the Western Conference rankings given how turbulent this season has been for the best team in the previous ten years.
Specifically, Thompson has seen a great deal of ups and downs; his declining ability to make shots has brought his shot selection issues to the fore, and the Warriors decided it was best for him to come off the bench. Despite this, the 34-year-old shooting guard is pleased with his level of fitness this year, having missed just four games in his second full season following his return from multiple career-threatening ailments that sidelined him from the beginning of 2022 to 2019.
“After 82 games, I can’t give it my all every night. What, what, three or four games this year did I miss? That’s amazing, after more than two years of rehabilitation? In his postgame news conference after their victory over the Jazz, Thompson stated, “That’s something I can hang my hat on, just being durable throughout the season,” via Warriors on NBC Sports via ClutchPoints Twitter (X).
Before the season started, Klay Thompson proclaimed it his mission to suit up as much as possible, and he has largely fulfilled that promise. Although Thompson has experienced many low times this season, it appears like he is rising to the occasion.
In the Warriors’ elimination game against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, Klay Thompson may have had his worst postseason performance to date. However, a lot of people thought he would soon recover. Thompson is a proud competitor who understands what it takes to be competitive and help his team win.
Unfortunately, Thompson has experienced a great deal of humiliation during the 2023–24 campaign. Even though Brandin Podziemski has performed better than expected in his rookie campaign, the Warriors benched Thompson in favor of him. This kind of demotion is rather abrupt for Thompson.
Still, Klay Thompson has returned to the starting lineup and is on the rise just in time for the play-in event. While Thompson’s lows may be lower than ever, his highs are still high. In their victory over the Jazz on Sunday, he scored 32 points on 12-23 shooting, and in the game that all but eliminated the Houston Rockets, he scored 29 points on 11-15 shooting—a remarkable effort considering how stifling the Rockets’ defense can be.
The Warriors will need this version of Thompson going into what is looking like a more likely clash with the Lakers in the 9/10 play-in tournament game.