“I was in the same formula last year & it led to a championship” – Klay Thompson is not concerned about his minutes restriction
Klay Thompson isn't concerned about his minutes restriction to start the 2022-23 season. The Golden State Warriors star wing has been eased back into action so far this season by the coaching staff.
Going back to last season, Klay Thompson was battling his way back from numerous injuries. After tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson tore his Achilles once again in the summer of 2020. Since then, the Warriors have expressed extreme caution with their sharpshooting guard.
Even after Thompson made his long awaited return to the court last year, the Warriors have been careful. When Thompson is on the court, he makes the Golden State team that much more dangerous. Even if it's not a full capacity. So far this season, Thompson has averaged 14.0 points per game in just 23.3 minutes.
When asked recently about his minutes restriction, Thompson expressed that he's not concerned about it. The Warriors veteran said that he was in "the same formula last year" and emphasized that the same recipe resulted in a championship.
“I’m not going to go out there & worry about made shots or statistics. I’m just going to go out there & play hard and be a two-way impactful player… I was in the same formula last year & it led to a championship.”
“I’m not going to go out there & worry about made shots or statistics. I’m just going to go out there & play hard and be a two-way impactful player… I was in the same formula last year & it led to a championship.” 💯
Klay Thompson on fighting through minutes restriction https://t.co/jXfwehRU2E
Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors look to defend their title
When the Golden State Warriors at are fully healthy, they are one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA. That's exactly what head coach Steve Kerr realizes. Because of that, Golden State has been extra careful when it comes to the fellow splash brother.
After a pair of consecutive lower body injuries, the Warriors aren't wanting to take any chances with Klay Thompson. Even if he's not 100%, Golden State knows just how impactful the sharpshooting wing can be.
Thompson returned to Golden State last year and reminded everyone of how good he can be. He went on to play a total of 32 games in 2021-22, averaging 20.4 points per game while shooting 38.5% from three-point range.
Steve Kerr, no surprise, says Klay Thompson won't get normal playing time in season opener against Lakers.
"He's not ready to play big minutes because he only had the one preseason game...We'll build him up from here, but [medical staff] feels comfortable with where he is." https://t.co/dF1tuaqHoE
Due to the impressive amount of depth on this Golden State roster, the coaching staff has the ability to be patient. The emergence of young star Jordan Poole has allowed the Warriors to slowly bring Thompson up to speed. Golden State is in a position where they are looking ahead to the postseason, not the opening week of play.
As long as Golden State can remain healthy throughout the year, they like their chances compared to the field when it comes to playoff time. Head coach Steve Kerr has been open about how the team plans to ease Klay Thompson back into action. Since the preseason, the team has been strategic with the minutes for the 32-year-old wing.