Klay Thompson‘s season took an unexpected turn. Despite shining at times during the playoffs and in the early stages of the series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, his performance faltered in the last four games.
In those games, he only managed an average of 10.5 points while shooting a dismal 25% from the floor. The low point came in Game 6, where he struggled with a disastrous 3-19 shooting, contributing to their loss.
What did Coach Steve Kerr have to say about Klay Thompson?
When asked about Klay Thompson’s future after his playoff struggles, Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged his performance but also highlighted his fantastic second half of the season. Kerr talked about the importance of bouncing back and what Thompson needs to do to regain his form next NBA season.
“I think the biggest thing for Klay is to have a great offseason. At 33 and with two major injuries behind him, this is a time where he’s gotta be more prepared than ever for the first day of training camp. Not only physically, handling the injuries…but also understanding that as you get older you’ve got to get better at areas you can improve. You can’t rely on the same things you could rely on at 28 or 27 so there are areas where he can get better and he’s gonna focus on those things this summer and come in and have a great year next year.”
"This is a time where [Klay] has to be more prepared than ever for the first day of training camp."
– Steve Kerr on how the Splash Bro can improve next season pic.twitter.com/hJNKjTzCI2
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 16, 2023
These past few years have been filled with upheaval for the star shooting guard. He endured a complete absence from the game in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons and only managed to participate in 32 games during the 2021-22 season. However, this season saw a positive shift as he took the court for 69 games, the most in four years. While there were moments when he seemed far from his peak form, it became evident that he gradually started to resemble the exceptional player he once was as the season progressed.
In a crucial off-season for the Warriors, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they offload Klay Thompson. On the other hand, Klay Thompson will look to make the most out of the off-season to prove his worth again.
