SUMMARY
- Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time in his career vs Utah Jazz.
- Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed that Klay brought offensive firepower from the bench.
Steve Kerr made quite a cryptic statement when asked about the reasoning behind benching Klay Thompson for the first time in his NBA career. As the majority of the basketball community should be aware, Thompson is the shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors and has not played well in recent times.
As a result, the Warriors were struggling to establish themselves as legitimate contenders in the Western Conference and many fans blamed Thompson’s poor play as the direct cause. Since Kerr is the head coach for the Warriors, a lot of blame and responsibility fell on him due to his questionable decision-making.
Klay Thompson scored a season-high 35 points coming off the bench
In what can only be considered a remarkable coincidence, Thompson managed to have one of the best games this season when coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors. Klay recorded a team 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Warriors in their game against the Utah Jazz. Every point he scored was certainly crucial considering that GSW won with a final score of 137-140.
Steve Kerr tells reporters in Utah he will stick with Klay Thompson off the bench for now: “Doesn’t mean it’s permanent…We’ll give it a little look and see how it goes.” Thompson had 35 points tonight. Kerr: “Gives us some firepower off the bench.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 16, 2024
Although Kerr seems to be indicating that there is still a chance for Klay to return as a starter for the Golden State Warriors, many fans expressed their feelings and believed that Kerr had finally made the right judgment call.
Warriors fans show approval towards Steve Kerr’s decision
While Klay Thompson did just have a breakout game and prove some of his doubters wrong, it is too soon to claim that he has come out of his shooting struggles and deserves a starting spot on the Golden State Warriors. After hearing what Steve Kerr had to say, several fans voiced their approval of his decision on social media.
They can definitely make it work, Klay was impressive tonight
— Donotdistubr (@donotdistubr) February 16, 2024
Klay is fully washed, good decision.
— 🦇 (@Shadowiscold) February 16, 2024
Every great NBA star will eventually have to acknowledge that they are not who they used to be in their prime. It already happened with Russell Westbrook and might be occurring with Klay at this very moment. In any case, his performance coming off the bench in the next few games will decide his role on the Golden State Warriors.