Klay Thompson sends upbeat message despite rollercoaster 2023-24 season: "I still play a phenomenal brand of ball"
Klay Thompson is riding high on confidence after a turbulent final couple of seasons in Golden State, which saw him jump ship to Dallas this offseason. The veteran guard doesn't think he had a rocky season last year, despite an unfortunate 0-for-10 shooting game in his final outing for the Dubs in their play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Thompson hit back at critics questioning whether he can still play championship-caliber basketball during a workout session with online content creator Tristan Jass in a video released on Monday.
"At the end of the day, I look back like, bro, I still play a phenomenal brand of ball," Thompson said. "You 18 (points) a game, (shooting) 39% from 3. I’m not gonna let someone tell me that’s not great."
You can listen to Thompson's comments from the 38:13 mark.
Thompson had a substandard year for a player of his potential. However, as he mentioned, his numbers were up alongside some of the best role players in the NBA. He averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, shooting 43.2%, including 38.7% from 3 while playing 77 games.
Klay Thompson's numbers didn't help him cover ground for his gradual decline in other facets of the game, though. He wasn't remotely close to his potential defensively compared to the Dubs' championship years, and he had extreme ups and downs, making it difficult for him to impact games beyond the box score.
A scoreless 0-for-10 shooting night in the Warriors' season-ending game against the Kings summed up his woes.
Klay Thompson blames letting criticism get to his head for turbulent end to Warriors tenure
Klay Thompson got detached from the love for his game over the last two years with the Warriors. The Mavericks' marquee addition this season blamed himself for allowing the criticism to get to him that saw him compare himself to his peak years.
"The last two years were so tough for me because, like, you try to measure yourself to what you were and like all the accomplishments and all that, and I let so much other crap get into my head that I forgot why I really play this game," Thompson told Tristan Jass.
"It's because I love it ... I'm like trying to measure myself to everyone else's standards and I didn't realize how big a waste of energy that is."
As Thompson struggled through various phases of the season, he often got compared to his prime years with the Warriors before his two-and-a-half-year injury hiatus. Offensively, he was arguably one of the most reliable second options, while defensively, he was the Warriors' go-to to guard the opposing team's best players.
Klay Thompson didn't succeed at either over the last two years, leading to him losing confidence and struggling to overcome that mental hurdle.