Stephen A. Smith demands more contribution & effort from Klay Thompson after his mediocre season start: “Klay Thompson, my brother, we all know you were hurt”
The Golden State Warriors are off to a rough start this season, and so is Klay Thompson. The defending NBA champions currently sit with a 6-9 record and are in second to last place in the Pacific Division. After the team fell 130-119 to the Phoenix Suns, they have now lost eight games in a row on the road. What is wrong with the NBA Champions?
On ESPN’s “First Take,” host Stephen A. Smith shared his opinion on the Warriors' struggles and, in particular, shooting guard Klay Thompson:
"Klay Thompson, my brother, we all know you were hurt. Big two big time, nasty injuries to overcome. We get that. Everybody knows that.
"But when you shoot 35% for the field, 33% from 3-point range, when you're a career 45% plus shooter from the field and a career 40 plus percent shooter from 3-point range, those numbers have dropped precipitously."
Smith is correct in the fact that Thompson has had two major injuries which caused him to miss two and a half seasons. He suffered a knee injury in the 2019 NBA Finals that kept him out the following year, only to rupture his Achilles prior to the start of the 2020-21 season.
This was Thompson's first campaign where he started the year with the Warriors since the start of the 2018-19 season. As Smith pointed out, his numbers are down from previous years. Last season, in just 32 games, Klay averaged 20.4 points, on 42.9% shooting, including 38.5% from 3. This year, he is averaging 15.1 points on 35.1% shooting, including 33% from beyond the arc.
There could be a few reasons for the drop off in the numbers. It could be the way that the ball is being distributed or the player is just getting adjusted. Smith also interjected with another idea:
"And there are questions as to whether or not you were really working on your game and revitalizing your game in the offseason because you just really wanted to get healthy and keep your legs fresh or whatever. There's going to be some questions, bro."
Is it time to start Jordan Poole over Klay Thompson
Jordan Poole proved to be a capable player in the absence of Klay Thompson at the start of last season. The team signed Poole to a four-year, $130 million contract this offseason. With Thompson struggling, it may be time to insert Poole into the starting lineup, with Thompson coming off the bench.
Poole is averaging 16.1 points this season. However, in the three games that he started, Poole averaged 28.7 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals. So, based on the numbers, it makes absolute sense to start Poole over Thompson. But coach Steve Kerr has continuously maintained that it's an idea he hasn't thought of yet.