Klay Thompson’s rapid decline was one of the most depressing stories of the NBA season. Thompson was once the second-greatest shooter alive behind teammate Stephen Curry, and the “Splash Brothers” teamed up with Draymond Green to bring four championships to the NBA. golden state warriors. Thompson’s career hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and then tearing his Achilles tendon while rehabbing a knee injury.
Now 34 years old, Thompson’s physical wear and tear has completely caught up with him this season. The future Hall of Famer was initially combative when asked by the media about being dropped during his playing days. Eventually, Thompson reached acceptance; Shared honest and transparent views What it’s like to see a great athlete fall from the top.
The Warriors’ season ended with a 118-95 loss to the Sacramento Kings in a 9-10 play-in tournament. Thompson had a disastrous performance that the team couldn’t overcome. His last line was ugly.
- 0 points
- Shooting from the floor 0 out of 10 times
- 0 of 6 3-point shots
- 32 minutes
At first glance, Klay still looks like Klay on the court, performing many of the same actions that once powered Golden State’s dynasty. The difference now is that the shots aren’t falling and the opponent is a step slower defensively. It was too much for the Warriors to overcome against a Sacramento team playing in front of a packed home crowd looking to avenge last season’s first-round loss to Golden State.
Thompson is set to become a free agent this summer, and his future with the Warriors is highly in question. Golden State is imposing a luxury tax on a team that wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs this year. Curry is still performing at a superstar level, but he needs more help. Thompson can no longer be a co-star. After the game, head coach Steve Kerr spoke about what Thompson meant to the organization.
Steve Kerr’s heartfelt message for Klay Thompson and his season tonight
“I love Clay so much and he means so much to me in the 10 years we spent together. I’ve seen him struggle, and I’ve watched him… pic.twitter.com/Kd6ITc1OCB
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 17, 2024
car too The Warriors said, “We need Klay back.” Of course, that would require a significant pay cut from the $43.2 million he earned this season.
Thompson was soaking in the scene. After the loss, I wondered if this would be the last time I wore a Warriors jersey in Sacramento. That decision will depend on several things. Mainly, how much cuts does the Warriors owner want to make, what are the other markets for Thompson, and what is a reasonable number for his potential return? According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Warriors plan to re-sign Thompson.
If you look at just the most basic stats, it doesn’t seem like Thompson’s year is that bad. He averaged 17.9 points per game and shot 38.7 percent from 3-point range. At the same time, the Warriors’ net rating was negative when Thompson was on the floor. There was a reason he lost the starting spot to rookie Brandin Podzemski for much of this season.
It would be very sad if the last we see of Thompson with the Warriors is an 0-for-10 game. One of the most electrifying shooters in league history, he deserves more after his efforts coming back from two serious injuries. If the Warriors want to build a new contender around Curry, they face some difficult decisions. It starts with Thompson’s free agency.
