How Thompson is evolving, finding his voice this season
There's a tired question popping up after every big performance by Klay Thompson this season.
Is he back to being the player he was before injuries robbed him of two years of his prime?
After dazzling Friday on a night when the Warriors needed him most, Thompson said he's done viewing himself from pre- and postinjury lenses.
“I don't like to talk about vintage me or am I my old self -- I just think I'm being myself and I was capable of these things in the past,” Thompson said. “As long as my wrist still works, my feet work, I'll forever be able to shoot the rock ... So for me, it's just about hunting great shots.”
And that's what he did in a much-needed 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets that put the Warriors in a three-way tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans for seventh place in the Western Conference.
It might've been the latter half of just his second backto-back in nearly four years, but Thompson showed no signs of exhaustion as he led the Warriors' charge against the Rockets, who own the worst record in the league.
With Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green all out, Thompson scorched the Rockets, going 12-for-17 from beyond the arc and 7-for-7 from the free throw line for his second 42-point game in 2 1/2 weeks.
Coach Steve Kerr was also happy to see Thompson grab seven defensive rebounds -a sign that he's listening and accepting the challenge to do more than just score.
Thompson had a pair of conversations with coaches over the last week about how the greatest players evolve their games as they get older.
Assistant coach Bruce Fraser encouraged Thompson to go after triple-doubles and round out his entire game. Meanwhile, Kerr used Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as examples of players who advanced their games to prolong their careers. Jordan became an incredible low-post player in his 30s, while Johnson improved his 3-point shooting and free throw percentage over the years.
“As you get older, and you
get banged up and injured, all that stuff, you can't just expect to be the same player that you were five years ago,” Kerr said. “Klay understands that, and the challenge is to be better defensively and more vocal, and a better leader and a better rebounder and all those things because within the team, he's now the elder.”
Thompson has always led by example. But amid this tumultuous season, where the Warriors have been plagued by injuries and hovered around .500, Thompson has felt an increased responsibility to step up in a variety of ways -- even if it means pushing him out of his comfort
bubble.
“I'm not the most comfortable using my voice, but you've got to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Thompson said. “That's how you grow to be great. Tonight I did a good job of leading by example and using my voice.”
Thompson drew inspiration to improve his leadership while he was scrolling through Instagram before the game. There he stumbled across an old clip of UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma discussing the importance of a player's body language on the bench. In the video, Auriemma explained why he believes you can measure how
good of a teammate someone is by what they do when out of the game. Are they engaged and supportive? This stuff matters to Auriemma, who says he sometimes won't play a player if their body language is lacking.
That message resonated with Thompson.
“(Earlier) this year, I'd be in my own feelings because I wasn't shooting the ball well or I didn't feel like myself,” Thompson said. “After hearing that, Geno has been around so much greatness, it reminded myself to be a leader. I've been here so long, I've got to lead. I've got to use my voice. That was a great challenge for me.”