During the press conference which summarized the first day of the Warriors’ training camp, Steve Kerr made an announcement regarding Klay Thompson. More precisely on the future defensive missions of his player this season.
“He will defend on strong wingers”warns the Golden State coach. “We think he can do it: he is quite powerful physically and he has already done it after changes in defense. It will be different for him and we will see how he does. »
A choice that seems logical since if the back shares minutes with Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins for example, it will be necessary to take care of one of the opposing interiors. In addition, Klay Thompson has done it in the past, on Kevin Love during the Finals between 2015 and 2018, or on Jarred Vanderbilt in the playoffs last season. Without forgetting that with his two major injuries and his soon to be 34 years old (he will be in February), he no longer has the same mobility to continually take care of the playmakers and backs.
However, for an outside player who weighs less than 100 kilos and stands at 1m98, isn’t that risky?
“It seems like the NBA doesn’t really have any positions anymore and power forward is a lot different than it was when I was a kid,” commented the four-time champion. “Position 4s like Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Amar’e Stoudemire – there were so many back then – play position 5 now. I don’t see it as a complicated transition. »
“I accept this challenge and I will not run away from it”
So don’t panic. Despite the criticism, Klay Thompson, who hopes to return to the All-Star Game in 2024, knows what he is doing and believes that it is a normal evolution for his game.
“We don’t win titles without being able to defend against any player”he reminds The Athletic. “And not just from the outside. I accept this challenge and I will not run away from it. Winger, power forward? It’s basketball. I will be asked to defend against this or that player, and I will give everything. I don’t have time to waste on Twitter and people doubting me. »
For this, the eleventh best 3-point shooter in NBA history prepared more completely this summer, compared to 2022 where, traumatized by his ruptured Achilles tendon during the 2020 offseason, he had stayed away from the courts and the game and had mainly worked physically.
“I was hungry to play again, to work on my game. I overcame the mental obstacles associated with rehab,” he assures. “I have a routine in place: I go to the gym, warm up for 30-45 minutes, then I play. That’s what I like. It’s more fun than just doing individual work. I loved playing with several players, from several continents. I played a lot of matches. »
| 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 |
| Total | 716 | 33 | 45.5 | 41.6 | 85.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.8 | |
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.
