SAN FRANCISCO – A segment of the fan base is complaining, some sports talk shows say his time has passed, and 13 games into his 10th season, Klay Thompson can quiet the noise. Some suggest that it may not be possible.
Klay’s long wait continues, and it’s reached a painful point for the Warriors and the longtime deep-shooting ace, who is celebrating his 34th birthday and entering the final season of his contract.
I just hope it hits rock bottom Thursday night at Chase Center.
Thompson totaled five points on 1-of-10 field goals, including 1-of-6 from deep, in a 128-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had a hard time guarding players of similar size. Even more worryingly, he struggled to find space to wear his trademark jumper.
“Klay has often had very cold starts to the season, for whatever reason,” coach Steve Kerr said after Friday’s practice. “If you look back at his career, most of the time he started slowly.
“The combination of losing streaks and cold losing streaks this year is especially demoralizing for a competitor like Clay.”
Thompson is averaging 13.8 points per game in 12 games this season, shooting 40.1 percent from deep and 32.9 percent from long range. All three numbers are below his standard. There’s no clear pattern to his shooting early in the season. Here are his October and his November percentages in each of the past five seasons:
2022-23: 40.1/39.2.
2021-22 (Returning after 941 days of layoff): 42.3/38.5.
2018-19: 45.6/34.8
2017-18: 48.9/46.1
2016-17: 47.7/36.5
Klay’s batting average so far this season is at or below his batting average in each of his past five games. Golden State’s recent downturn has put it in an even brighter spotlight. Thompson’s age and strain on his body — he was an ironclad until he tore his right ACL and tore his left Achilles tendon several years in a row — has added to the attention.
“That’s the nature of what we do,” Kevon Looney, Thompson’s teammate since 2015, said of the chatter from outside observers. “It’s not the first time they’ve done that to Clay. He’s used to it. I’ve seen him struggle before. He always finds his way out. ”
Thompson, a five-time All-Star, hasn’t fared too badly since his first appearance in the Annual Classic. And yes, it has become more evident during his team’s losing streak. Ten points per game, 29.1 percent (16 of 55 points) coming from the field, including 26.7 percent (8 of 30 points) from the field.
But Thursday was the first time this season that Thompson took just one shot past the rim. That understandably increased the level of distress among fans.
And with Stephen Curry out of the lineup, Klay’s helplessness has become even greater. It’s not unnoticeable that he was the only Golden State starter not to score in double digits on Thursday.
“This is especially frustrating because he lives and breathes winning,” Kerr said. “We’ve been losing the last five games, struggling to fall shots. And with Steph and Draymond (Green) out, it doesn’t make Klay look all that good.”
In a sense, Klay is at least a temporary victim of Curry’s offensive system, which rarely grows without that catalyst. With Curry out, the team is looking for buckets, but they’ve found themselves lacking.
Steph and Klay are the best offensive backcourt of all time for many reasons, the first of which is Curry’s presence confuses defenses. His constant movement distorts the floor, forcing defenders to chase him or huddle.
Golden State’s offense is primarily based on his movement to separate defensemen from their teammates. No one has been more successful than Clay, who has a Hall of Fame career.
But Klay’s scoring was also a byproduct of his own work ethic and off-ball movement. The Reggie Miller of this era flew over screens, dashed from one area to another, and ran defenders out of breath.
Is that guy somewhere in Cray?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to summon the excess energy you once had. And, hey, is he trying? You can tell by watching Klay’s body language that he’s beyond frustrated that he’s not playing at a level that’s acceptable to him, much less anyone else.
Additionally, the uncertainty of his contract situation beyond this season may weigh heavily on his mind.
“The biggest thing for him in terms of message is he has such a long track record,” Kerr said. “He’s doing well. We know what he’s capable of. We have to find our identity as a team offensively and that will help Klay in the end.
“But every season of his career, when he got off to a slow start, he found it. I have no doubt he’ll find it.”
That’s because Clay’s history suggests he can soften the hearts of those inside and outside Dub Nation with one heated performance.
That’s what people want to see. But the longer the wait, the louder the noise, the hotter the spotlight.
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