Finally, the Warriors have found the right fuel. After a season of disappointments notably caused by the suspension of Draymond Green, the crisis of confidence Klay Thompson or the injury of Chris PaulGolden State has regained its health since the start of spring with a good series of seven victories in eight games.
With four games still to play, Steve Kerr's team is getting closer to its record from last season (44v-38d) with this 43rd success scored last night against Jazz (118-110). Except that unlike last year, the Warriors will have to go through the “play-in” in order to hope to play in the playoffs.
Is this year’s team any less good? Steve Kerr and Klay Thompson are convinced otherwise. With this series in progress, Golden State is ramping up at the best time, with more certainty.
“We are definitely a better team. We are playing better basketball on both ends of the court. There is a better connection, a better cohesion. There is a much better atmosphere in this team”, said Steve Kerr. “We’ll just try to keep winning and see what happens.”
Nothing better than Florida to recharge your batteries
Among the main architects of this revival, as he showed again last night with his 32 points, Klay Thompson for his part underlined the importance of arriving in “play-in” with full confidence to play two decisive matches which will decide the fate of this season.
“I'm not saying that we are better than last year, because it remains to be seen if we will be able to go beyond the Western Conference semi-finals. But I think we are playing the best basketball we have played since the start of the season, and we will be very confident before the play-in.”
Looking back, Klay Thompson notes that Golden State's good start to the series coincided with a three-game road trip in the East that began in Miami on March 25.
It was therefore in Florida that the mayonnaise would have definitely set and where the bodies were able to recharge their batteries before this new challenge, during an “off” day at the beach, far from the blackboard.
“When we went to Miami, and we spent that day at the beach, it really changed everything”he added. “You can go in the ocean, throw the ball and swim, just be free and have fun. It frees your mind. It was so nice to be out there with the guys, and just share a day off the field. I think it was a big turning point. Everyone put their feet in the sand, as if to form a base. It was very important.”
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | GOS | 66 | 24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 86.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 82 | 36 | 42.2 | 40.1 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 16.6 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 44.4 | 41.7 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 18.4 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 77 | 32 | 46.3 | 43.9 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 80 | 33 | 47.0 | 42.5 | 87.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 22.1 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.8 | 41.4 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 22.3 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 73 | 34 | 48.8 | 44.0 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.7 | 40.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 32 | 29 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 20.4 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 69 | 33 | 43.6 | 41.2 | 87.9 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 21.9 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 73 | 30 | 42.8 | 38.3 | 91.9 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 17.4 |
| Total | 789 | 33 | 45.3 | 41.3 | 85.7 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
