Klay Thompson Says It’s “Very Hard,” Adjusting to New Role

It is no secret that Klay Thompson has looked like a shell of his former self this year. Injuries and age appear to be catching up with the second splash brother. Now, the Warriors have made lineup adjustments. One of those includes closing games without their starting shooting guard in the rotation. When asked about this, Thompson was brutally honest.

“Yeah,” Thompson said, when asked if his changing role has been an adjustment. “You kidding me? Go from, you know, one of the best players it’s hard for anybody.

“I’ll be honest with you. It’s very hard.”

Head coach, Steve Kerr, also weighed in on the situation.

He’s fine,” Kerr said about Thompson. “This is a season where he’s had a lot of ups and downs. It’s not easy for a guy who’s been so good and a Hall of Fame player to deal with the injuries and it’s never easy for any player, getting older. [But] he’s mentally tough.”

Klay Thompson has also been linked in several trade rumors throughout the year. February 8th will tell us a lot about the future of the Warriors organization.

Warriors Not Closing Games With Klay Thompson in Lineup Anymore

Klay Thompson’s Rough Season

Thompson appears to be out of his prime. He is still a solid player, but he has not been playing up to his standards this season. So far this year, Thompson is averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 total rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He is currently averaging a three-point shooting percentage of 37.1 percent and has a defensive rating of 120, which is a career-worst in this category.

For context, Thompson career totals are 19.6 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.5 total rebounds per game to go along with a three-point shooting percentage of 41.3 percent. On top of this, his career defensive rating is 110 to couple with a career defensive box plus/minus of -1.2. The five-time All-Star is clearly having a rough year, but if we have learned anything about stars of his caliber, it is to never count them out until the very end. Whether Thompson spends the remainder of this season with Golden State remains to be seen with the NBA Trade Deadline drawing closer.

Is This the End for the Golden State Warriors?

The Warriors have been mired in a ton of trade rumors this season. Klay Thompson is not the only Warrior involved in trade speculation. Draymond Green, Chris Paul, and Andrew Wiggins have also been mentioned in rumors. If the team does decide to move one or more of their core players, it would be safe to say that Golden State’s dynasty is officially over.

Even with superstar, Stephen Curry, still on the roster. Klay Thompson seems to be the least likely among those mentioned in trade discussions to be dealt before the trade deadline. However, stranger things have happened in this league. If the correct offer comes around, seeing Klay Thompson in a different jersey could eventually become a reality. For his sake, hopefully he can begin to regain some of his confidence as a player.