Klay Thompson aims to play all 82 regular season games, says playing 70+ games is a "win"
Klay Thompson aims to play all 82 regular-season games this season. With the NBA's new load management policy stating that teams are not allowed to rest multiple star players without approval, the Golden State Warriors star intends to play as many games as he can as he looks to bag his fifth NBA ring.
According to Jason Dumas of KRON 4 News, Thompson believes that if he plays 70+ games in the upcoming 2023-24 season, that would be a win.
The guard has played all 82 games just once in his 12-season career. The 2012-13 season saw him suit up for all games in what was his second year in the league. He averaged 16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists that season.
Thompson also had two more seasons where he played 81 and 80 games, respectively. The 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons saw him come close to the 82-game mark before he was sidelined with an ACL injury that saw him miss two years of game time. This past season, he played 69 games, averaging 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
Klay Thompson's injury layoff also meant that he missed making All-Star appearances for two straight seasons. Now, he intends to make up for the lost time by playing the maximum number of games to bolster the Warriors chances of winning in a stacked Western conference.
Klay Thompson's defense will be crucial for the Golden State Warriors this season
This season could see Klay Thompson showcase his strong defensive presence. Earlier, head coach Steve Kerr outlined how the Warriors will test their new small-ball lineup in their preseason clash against the Los Angeles Lakers. This makes Thompson the ideal candidate to be the forward defender.
This past season marked him playing a full year after returning from two injuries that threatened to derail his career. While the veteran shrugged off the rust to rediscover his perimeter shooting, his defense was still patchy at best, and now he has a chance to shore up on the defensive end.
Golden State will benefit from Klay Thompson playing the majority of the games this season. Over the years, he's proven himself to be a reliable player capable of making an impact at any point in any quarter, and now a 70+ game season by his own standards would mean substantial chances of the Warriors making the playoffs.