Klay Thompson has found his rhythm since moving to the Golden State Warriors bench. The veteran sharpshooter had struggled to begin the season. His shots weren’t falling, and the pace of play on the defensive end was an issue for him. Yet, a role change made a world of difference.
When speaking to the media after his 26-point performance in the Warriors’ 128-121 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Thompson revealed a conversation with Steve Kerr allowed him to embrace his new role and find his rhythm.
“Steve has seen it all, really, during his time in the NBA,” Thompson said, “That conversation has helped me relax a little bit. Instead of chasing past greatness, just be appreciative of what I’m able to do now and the mountain that I had to climb to get back playing at this level. It really just helped me relax and be myself.”
Thompson, 36, has been much-improved since embracing his bench role. He’s finding better matchups and is holding his own on the defensive end. His presence off the bench has also given the Warriors a veteran backcourt for the second unit alongside Chris Paul.
Klay details how his talk with Kerr helped him stop chasing "past greatness" and instead appreciate what he can do now 🤝 pic.twitter.com/hVyFaMoxcP
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 17, 2024
With Thompson playing the best basketball of his season and the Warriors finally getting healthy, the fan base will undoubtedly be hoping for a strong finish to the regular season and a deep run into the playoffs.
