Dray: “I thought it was huge to see Klay back into the lineup, not that BP did anything wrong. Sometimes you just need something different, & what Klay brings to the table, nobody else brings to the table in the history of basketball…and we saw it shine through in a major way these last 2 games.”

Dray talked for a bit about Klay getting put back in the starting lineup on his latest podcast (starts [here](https://youtu.be/p1Y8s_WNCII?t=7m30s)) in a way that seems to suggest that it’s a permanent move despite Steve suggesting it may not be, and that it’s a corrective move of sorts and gives Steve props for in effect admitting he was wrong because most coaches wouldn’t. I thought it was interesting how skillfully he broke it down so as to make clear Klay is back where he belongs while also making sure to praise Steve for the way it all played out so he doesn’t come away looking bad lol he’s good at this.

Transcript of the segment:

> “Klay Thompson, tough back-to-back, man. You know, playing 30-plus minutes starting for the first time in a long time at Miami, coming out getting 28, then coming back the next night and giving us huge minutes, knocking shots down, spacing the floor.
>
>
> Klay got off to a really good start, which got us going, got us out running, hit some shots, got out in transition, and that changed everything. I thought it was huge to see Klay back into the lineup, not that BP did anything wrong. Sometimes you just need something different, and we all know what Klay brings to the table.
>
>
> What Klay brings to the table, nobody else brings to the table in the history of basketball, there’s facts to back that up. You know, 60 in three quarters, 37 in a quarter. No one in history brings that to an NBA game. So what Klay brings, it just brings a different thing, and we saw it shine through in a major way these last two games. And that’s a big call from Steve Kerr. Huge call from Steve Kerr. That’s coaching at his finest right there.
>
>
> Because when certain things like that happen, where Klay goes to the bench, right, that’s a monumental move. Everybody’s talking about it. First time in 12 years he’s come off the bench, blah, blah, blah. When you do things like that, not that Steve stuck his foot in his mouth, but in theory you kind of stick your foot in your mouth because now it’s a big story. And so then when you go back to it, it’s like, oh, look at that. And so many people will be afraid to go back to it just for that reason. That’s why I always say like Steve is unbothered by anything. Like he’s unfazed. So most coaches would be like, ah, but we went away from it. Now what are they going to say? Blah, blah, they’re going to pick this apart.
>
> …
>
> And a move like that jolted us. All of a sudden, two games on this road trip. Obviously, like I said, the Minnesota one got away. But it sets us up to possibly have a 4-on-1 road trip if we go take advantage. And that’s a huge trip coming off the homestand that we had at this point in the season. So shout out to Stevie Kerr. Big move getting Klay Thompson back in [the Miami] game.”

by taygads