Klay Thompson last came off the bench in March 2012. He was 22 years old at the time and an unproven rookie. Monta Ellis started ahead of him. Nate Robinson came off the bench next to him. Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers. Chauncey Billups, 47, is the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and a member of the Clippers.
Thompson was initially elevated to the starting lineup due to Stephen Curry’s ankle issues and the trade of Monta Ellis. That game against the Clippers was the final of Curry’s third season. He left after nine minutes and would sit for the last month. When Curry returned the next season, Thompson was already a solid starter. The Splash Brothers are formed.
More than a decade later, Thompson’s streak of consecutive starts stretches to 727 games. The game ended Thursday night in Utah, with the Warriors winning 140-137.
Statistics show that Steve Kerr replaced the four-time NBA champion with Brandin Pozzimski, a rookie who has recently outperformed Thompson and better completed Curry, Andrew Wei The five next to Kings, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. When explaining the decision after the game, Kerr pointed to the lineup’s gaudy numbers. They outscored their opponents by 57 points in 107 minutes.
The numbers suggest this measure is reasonable and perhaps necessary. Thompson’s field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage this season have hit career lows. The Warriors are in contention for the playoffs, entering 10th place in the Western Conference with a 26-26 record on Thursday.
But that doesn’t make the conversation any easier. Kerr said he had been thinking about it for some time and decided to do so Thursday, just a night after he once again left Thompson out of the Warriors’ closing lineup and then pulled him as a draw in the final minute. The player in space cuts in and watches Thompson hit the shot. Intentional and unwise foul Against the Clippers. He told Thompson of the decision Thursday morning in Utah.
“He’s not excited about it,” Kerr told reporters. “I didn’t expect him to be excited about it.”
But what a response Thompson gave. He was outstanding, scoring his highest points of the season before the end of the third quarter. He finished with 17 points in 11 first-half minutes, including a nice transition to Green in the final minute of the second quarter, who scored 23 points, his most since 2018. . The Warriors scored 84 points in half of the first quarter.
“You can do two things, you can pout, or you can go out and respond.”
Klay reveals how his mindset changed on the bench after talking to Kerr 👏 pic.twitter.com/jC9XALO57c
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 16, 2024
Thompson didn’t calm down after halftime. He scored 18 points in a fiery third quarter and finished with 35 points. He finished 13 of 22 from the field and 7 of 13 3-pointers, a classic performance that helped the Warriors beat the Jazz in the shootout, although they nearly lost another big lead in the final seconds. Thompson also made a huge defensive play with 74 seconds left, stopping Keyante George’s drive and forcing a drive. This was Thompson’s best game of the season.
“The motivation to increase his competitiveness was a decision I made,” Kerr said. “He’s a very competitive guy. I’ve seen him hit a million big shots. I’ve seen him guard the toughest guys in the league. Klay is a champion. He’s an unbelievable player. , great guy. I was lucky enough to coach him. It’s been a tricky season for him and for us. There’s a lot of transition going on. Some of our young guys are coming up. Klay was the guy he coached five or six years ago. It’s not easy to do. I think it’s probably a good balance that brings out the best in Klay and brings out the best in our team.”
Kerr said he plans to keep Podzimski in the starting lineup and Thompson on the bench after the All-Star break, saying the move isn’t “permanent” but he wants to give it a Healthy appearance.
“Klay came off the bench and gave us a lot of firepower,” Kerr said.
(Klay Thompson Photo: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
