"You're not who you used to be": Stephen A. Smith questions Klay Thompson's effectiveness after rough start to 2023-24 NBA season

Klay Thompson has had a rough start to the 2023-24 NBA season, which is not ideal, as he's looking to sign a new contract. Stephen A. Smith reacted to Thompson's struggles and questioned his effectiveness. Smith also proposed a potential solution for the four-time NBA champion.

On "The Stephen A. Smith Show," the ESPN Analyst discussed the Golden State Warriors' struggles. Steph Curry is doing his thing carrying the team, but Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are having a tough shooting start.

Smith reckons Thompson is no longer the player he used to be due to the injuries suffered in 2019 and 2020. He also explained that opposing teams have figured him out, causing him to have problems this season:

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"You're talking about one of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen struggling," Thompson said. "Not just to make shots, but to get shots off. He is not getting shots off with the level of regularity he once did so what does that mean that mean?

"You can't get your own shot. That means you can't create enough space. That means defenders are figuring out how to defend you or you have shrunk. You have diminished. You're not who you used to be."

Klay Thompson is averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Thompson is shooting 40.0% from the field, including 33.0% from beyond the arc. Those are the worst shooting percentages of his career and his lowest scoring average since his rookie year.

Thompson has always been a streaky shooter. He gets hot and continues to be so for months before going cold. And when Thompson is cold, he remains cold. Nevertheless, it's a tough start to the season for him, but he still has time to recover and prove his detractors wrong again.

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Stephen A. Smith thinks Klay Thompson should join the LA Lakers

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors

Thompson will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Golden State Warriors are still interested in bringing him back, but they might rethink it if Thompson doesn't get out of his funk this season.

Stephen A. Smith has a solution for Thompson if the Warriors don't sign him to a new contract. Smith suggested joining the LA Lakers, as they're probably the only team that he wants to leave Golden State for.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis as his teammates, Thompson would have space to get off his shot. The Lakers have always lacked shooters, but it will be interesting to see this summer if one of the greatest shooters ever joins a different team.

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