"Klay's gonna start when he comes back" - Steve Kerr assures Klay Thompson of spot in Golden State Warriors' starting five upon return
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has made a big announcement regarding the imminent return of Klay Thompson. Kerr said late on Thursday that he won't play Thompson as a reserve player but put him into the starting five whenever the shooting guard is ready to make his return.
Speaking to reporters about Klay Thompson even as the Golden State Warriors' scheduled matchup against the Denver Nuggets was postponed, Kerr said:
"I am starting to think about that. Klay's gonna start when he comes back. I'm not gonna mess around, bring him off the bench for a period of time. I'm not doing any of that. He's going to start. We'll see what that means in terms of the rest of the rotation."
Kerr added:
"I know one thing, we've got a whole lot of guys who are capable of playing and being in the rotation and helping us win games. It's not going to be easy, on the other hand, it's way better than the alternative. I've got a lot of options but there's not a lot of playing time to go around. It will be tricky but it's a good problem to have."
Steve Kerr: “Klay (Thompson) will start when he comes back. I’m not gonna mess around, bring him off the bench or any of that.” https://t.co/yHX1cYttcN
Klay Thompson takes part in Golden State Warriors' scrimmage, plays on same team as Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins
The Golden State Warriors were in Denver when their game against the Nuggets was postponed. The Nuggets couldn't amass the minimum number of eight players since a significant part of their roster had entered health and safety protocols.
The postponement of the game led to the Warriors holding scrimmage in Denver where Klay Thompson played with the first team for the first time this season.
Commenting upon Klay Thompson playing alongside Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins during practice, Steve Kerr said:
"We had a great scrimmage. It's the first time Klay has scrimmaged with our first group. That was really fun to watch and helpful for Klay and our team. We got to work on some of our execution that we've been struggling with recently. So yeah, we turned it into a positive. It was a good practice."
When asked whether Klay Thompson had some vintage moments with Steph Curry during the scrimmage, Kerr replied:
"Yeah. I mean there were possessions where they were feeding off each other. and it's just fun to see. It's been over two years. Those guys have such a history together. For me it was just fun to sit back and see them smiling and on the court together."
Klay Thompson took part in a scrimmage today in Denver on the same team as Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins. First time he’s ever played with Wiggins.
Here is Kerr on it. https://t.co/nemwSrNSoP