Why Klay Thompson's age will not hurt his game on the offensive end
Klay Thompson has begun to turn his season around following an awful start.
He has averaged just 15.1 points per game while shooting 35.1% from the field and 33.0% from 3-point range over his first twelve games. The four-time NBA champion has averaged 24.0 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field and 56.0% from 3-point range over his past five games.
His turnaround has helped the team tremendously as well. While the Warriors were just 5-7 in Thompson's first 12 games, they are 5-0 over his past five contests.
Despite missing two-and-a-half seasons after tearing his ACL and then tearing his Achilles, Thompson's offensive game has not suffered as he nears his 33rd birthday. On that note, let's take a look at why Thompson will continue to age gracefully.
Klay Thompson's age will not affect his game
Klay Thompson's age is starting to rise to the range when players generally start to decline. However, he has shown that he is unlikely to follow that trend. Despite his slow start, the five-time All-Star is shooting 40.0% from three-point range, making nearly four triples per contest.
Thompson's game has never relied on athleticism, which is usually one of the first abilities to decline. Instead, the cause of his success has been his incredible jump shot. Furthermore, Thompson has largely been a catch-and-shoot off-ball player, which should prolong his prime.
Watch Klay Thompson's highlights below:
Where does Klay Thompson rank among 3-point shooters?
Klay Thompson has made nearly 2000 three-pointers in his career despite missing two and a half seasons due to injury. The Golden State Warriors star is already in the top 20 of the all-time made 3-pointers list, ranking 16th. While he is unlikely to ever catch his teammate Steph Curry, who holds the record with 3215 made triples and counting, entering the top three is not out of the question for Thompson.
The time that he missed likely cost Thompson around 500 triples, based on his previous performance, which would have already moved him into the top-five all-time. Although Curry, Ray Allen, and Reggie Miller are widely considered the top three shooters in NBA history, there are often debates about whether Thompson belongs on that list.
While he has not matched the volume of Curry, Allen, and Miller, Thompson has been more efficient from behind the arc than the latter two. In his career, Thompson has made 1978 triples and counting, while shooting 41.6% from 3-point range. Only two players in the history of the NBA are able to match or surpass both totals.
Watch more of Klay's highlights below: