Klay Thompson was demoted to the bench by his coach Steve Kerr early this season, which raised some questions. Thompson had failed to find consistent scoring, and his defense did not appear as agile as it had in his younger, pre-injury days. Even yet, putting a Splash Bro on the bench is no easy task.
Media asked Klay Thompson about it and here’s what he said .
Thompson has averaging 19.8 points per game in fourteen games as a reserve, shooting 46% (43% from beyond the arc). Those are fantastic scoring stats from the reserve position, more than enough to earn Sixth Man of the Year consideration in a larger sample size.
Steve Kerr and fans have their say on Klay Thompson
However, with the Warriors trying to find consistency, Thompson returned to the starting lineup Friday night. Thompson played well in his regular spot next to Stephen Curry, helping the Warriors defeat the Heat in Miami.
Here’s what coach Steve Kerr had to say about it.
Here are a few fan reactions to Klay Thompson’s performance.
Lol where are the people who thought Klay was playing better b/c he was coming off the bench?
Notable that JK/Wiggs combined for 35. Imo there’s more spacing for them with Klay playing.
Steph still struggled a little shooting but I think Klay should remain a starter. https://t.co/bNVig4x2Nt
— Natalie Esquire 🇯🇲 (@natfluential) March 27, 2024
People forget that when the warriors went on their run, Klay was the starter at the start. Kerr decided to make a lineup change IN THE MIDDLE OF A WINNING STREAK. It worked out ok because they got some scrub teams after, but the new starters lost their mins to every good team
— David Kinoshita (@bigkino217) March 19, 2024
The Warriors will always appear more like the WARRIORS when Thompson is firing on all cylinders and stretching the defense to the breaking point. Here’s hope Klay’s tremendous game is a sign of more to come as Golden State competes for a playoff spot!