Klay Thompson, whose name has terrified countless opponents, formed the strongest backcourt combination in history with Stephen Curry, leading the Golden State Warriors to four championships in ten years. His three-point shot is like a sword, capable of piercing through opposing defenses in an instant, and his defense is just as good as limiting the league's top scorers.
Unfortunately, however, he suffered two season-canceling injuries two years ago for two consecutive seasons, a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee and a torn Achilles tendon in his right foot. Since then, he's been trying to get fit and get back into the game, but his form hasn't been back to the top. This season, in particular, his shooting performance has dropped significantly, and according to NBA insiders, it may be because Klay Thompson is trying too hard to prove that he is completely.
With the season just around the corner, Thompson is also entering his five-year 1$900 million in the final year of the contract. The contract was signed before he was reimbursed for two consecutive seasons due to injury, when he was one of the most popular players in the league and a core member of the Warriors. Now, two years after those two serious injuries, the 33-year-old veteran is trying to prove that he's still one of the NBA's top three-point shooters, and is hoping to get a contract extension that is sizable in terms of length and money.
Just this offseason, his old teammate Dream Green was awarded a four-year, $100 million contract extension for his outstanding contributions to the Warriors, which will keep him with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season.
The Warriors have been vocal about their desire to keep the championship trio of Curry, Green and Thompson, so it feels like it's only a matter of time before the two sides reach a contract extension. However, according to a revelation from the Athletic in mid-October, the two sides have "not made any progress at all" in contract extension talks, and the five-time All-Star could enter the free agent market for the first time.
More than a month has passed since Woj broke the news, and Thompson is still waiting for news of his contract extension. While the Warriors have largely retained their core roster, they're not in a much better position right now and look like they're moving away from their dynastic days. The team's main problem at the moment is on the offensive end, especially in scoring ability, with only Stephen Curry averaging more than 16 points per game, while Thompson and forward scorer Andrew Wiggins contribute relatively little.
Looking at the way Klay looks now, it feels like he's not the player we're familiar with anymore. It was clear that something was bothering him. ESPN wrote a story about Clay's plight and said it had something to do with the delayed contract. This uncertainty "stresses him down". According to the report, Clay sometimes sat alone on the bench and even "hit himself on the head in anger after a missed shot."
In the past, when Klay didn't shoot well, he usually shifted his attention to improve his ability in other areas such as defense, rather than blindly forcing the shot in the hope of getting out of the slump in this way. But this time, Klay opted for a forced shot, and the result was not ideal. Therefore, Klay should focus on the overall game, believing that his shooting touch will naturally return over time.
Klay also had a bad shooting time last season, when he just wanted to shoot too hard, but that wasn't the Klay Thompson we're familiar with. Clay, who we are familiar with, not only can he throw, but he knows when to throw and when not to throw.
He's a catch-and-shoot player who doesn't need to struggle to organize the offense because Curry is there. Although he doesn't move as fast as he used to now, he doesn't need to force a shot if he misses. As long as you keep the intensity of the game and focus on other things, his shooting touch will definitely come back.
In the modern NBA, the three-point shot is becoming more and more popular, and top three-point shooters like Curry, Lillard, and Harden have emerged, and Klay Thompson is undoubtedly the best among them. Looking back on his 11 seasons, Thompson has established himself as one of the best long-range shooters in league history, ranking 10th all-time in three-point shooting and 17th all-time in three-point shooting percentage.
Thompson's three-point shooting ability is not only reflected in the statistics, but also in his shooting skills and style. His shooting moves are simple and graceful, his shots are fast and accurate, and his shooting options are smart and courageous. His three-point shot can not only bring points to the team, but also bring momentum to the team, and he can often throw the fatal blow at critical moments, making the opponent unable to defend and the fans unforgettable.
Thompson's three-point shot also left us with many classic memories. Who can forget that in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, he made 11 three-pointers in the face of the Thunder's desperate situation, breaking the single-game three-point record in the playoffs, helping the Warriors turn the game around and finally advance to the Finals?
Who can forget that in the 2018 regular season, against the Bulls, he took only 26 minutes to shoot 14 three-pointers, breaking Curry's single-game three-point record and helping the Warriors win by a wide margin?Who can forget that in Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, in the face of pressure from the Raptors, he hit three three-pointers in the third quarter to help the Warriors close the gap, but unfortunately injured and could not continue the game?These are the glorious moments of Thompson's three-point shot and the legend of his three-point shot.
This season, however, Thompson has shown a very different side. He is currently averaging just 15 points per game7 points, his lowest since his rookie season (125 points). Still, he's the team's second-leading scorer, which highlights the Warriors' problems on the offensive end.
After analyzing his shooting stats in depth, we see that Thompson has really been a bit bad this season. A player who shot 45 percent from the field in his career, he shot 40 percent in the first 19 games of the season6%, reaching a career low. To make matters worse, his performance from beyond the three-point line has been similarly sluggish, averaging 77 times, with a hit rate of only 361%, which is the second lowest level of his career. In addition, he has a true shooting percentage of 52 this season8%, which is also only 10th in the team.
Such stats are truly staggering, especially when compared to Thompson's stellar past achievements. His declining shooting percentage, sluggish performance from beyond the three-point line, and a drop in true shooting percentage all show that his current form is not ideal.
Klay Thompson has not only struggled on the offensive end, but even his previously proud perimeter defense has seen a significant decline this season. His defensive efficiency is 1212. This data ranks first from the bottom in the Warriors. Correspondingly, his net efficiency value is -52. Fifth from bottom in the team.
Clearly, something is wrong with Klay Thompson right now. Whether it was because of contract extension issues or other issues that affected his mentality, or whether he lost his shooting touch as he got older, is unknown. But if he wants to get a contract that he thinks he's worthy, then he'll need to start scoring more points with more efficiency. The Warriors will surely hope that he can get out of his current slump as soon as possible, as his poor performance has seriously affected the team's winning path.
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