Several years ago, Klay Thompson was a legitimate NBA star who helped the Golden State Warriors establish the foundation for a dynasty.
He was one of the greatest outside shooters the game of basketball has ever seen, and he was also a very potent overall scorer, not to mention a good individual defender.
But an ACL injury in 2019 and an Achilles injury in 2020 robbed him of some of his game, and while he had some flashes of his old self in helping the Warriors win the world championship in 2022, he just wasn’t the same player he used to be on a consistent basis.
Thompson left days ago to join the Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State head coach Steve Kerr revealed his feelings about the five-time All-Star, per 95.7 The Game.
“In his own mind and I think in the minds of everyone watching, he wasn’t the same guy as he was prior to the injuries. And Klay really struggled with that,” Kerr said.
“From 2014-19, pre-injury, Klay was unflappable. He rarely required much maintenance from me as a coach. He was just so happy playing and playing at a high level. I would check in with him and he was always fine and loving life. That changed after the two injuries.
He’s… pic.twitter.com/kpMr4amOEJ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 10, 2024
Thompson made his first All-Star team during the 2014-15 season, which was also the year Golden State won their first ring of the Curry/Thompson era.
In his first eight seasons, Thompson was dynamite — during that span, he averaged 19.5 points a game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range, and he was named to the All-Defensive Second Team during the 2018-19 campaign.
But since returning from his Achilles injury in the 2021-22 season, the moments in which he has looked like his old self have been interspersed with moments in which he has been unable to find the mark offensively.
This past season, he made 38.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, which is very good, but he shot just 43.2 percent overall.
In Dallas, Thompson will now attempt to give the reigning Western Conference champions the supporting offensive firepower they have lacked and perhaps find the extra gear that has been missing the last three years.
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Steve Kerr Has An Honest Admission About Kyle Anderson
