Klay Thompson Might Be Ready To Move On
sucker four is the Klay Thompson rhetoric right now Klay Thompson stuff is uh he getting hot it’s getting hot as free agency gets closer closer and closer this is the anniversary game four the NBA Finals that game four in Boston with Steph Curry went crazy for 43 points and 13 rebounds and the Warriors Rally from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit down 9790 Klay hit a big shot Wiggins hit a big shot Curry was doing his thing key offensive rebounds by kaval Loney but on a plus minus podcast with Anthony Slater Marcus Thompson and Tim kokabi little nuggets are coming out about Klay Thompson and are we ready for this I feel like we’ve braced for it I’ve already mentally kind of moved on whether or not Clay’s going to be here or not next season we shall see but I’ve moved on thinking that klay’s going to be gone you got another report yesterday about the Orlando Magic going in on clay and Paul George but here’s Marcus Thompson and how he says it doesn’t look good for Klay Thompson being back in a warrior uniform his situation remains very unsettled behind the scenes like I mean I wrote about it last week it’s going to I don’t think it looks good for him coming back I think he’s going to get a bunch of money thrown at him and I know it’s crazy I know oh no no man teams are out here desperate they need we watched four teams in the playoffs could not score they just could not score and here’s a higher gun I think somebody’s going to offer him a bunch of money then Clay’s got to decide do I take the money or do I and what that number is is it going to are they offering him 30 or they offering he can get it I think he can get it now marcusi thinks he could get it I’ve been saying all season he could get it is somebody’s going to be desperate for that shooting you know talking to people around the league all season long they value Klay shooting but that’s Marcus stops said it doesn’t look good for Klay coming back now what’s your thoughts on that in just a second here is what’s interesting for me listen to Tim kokabi or what clay was pissed about now I know Willard divs broke this down to nauseum Friday afternoon but here it is in case everybody missed it over the weekend more in the plus minus podcast Anthony Slater Tim kakav Marcus Thompson something clay was pissed at and maybe he hasn’t gotten over it’s fair if clay he was pissed he was pissed at him at the end of there’s no question he was pissed at them at the end of the season and and and by the way not very happy with upper Management’s dealing with his extension the whole thing N deing I should say almost it’s the whole thing and I think he takes he took offense when Draymond not Draymond but that Draymond said hey look they signed him to fouryear $180 million deal when he would tour his ACL and you know Kay didn’t love that and he like hey what they going to do what were they going to do imagine if they did that was that was probably his most like he had a very interesting exit interview for several reasons but that was probably the answer that was most like revealing back and listen to it if they want laugh like you oh yeah what you know I just uh you know tore my ACL trying to win my you know fourth title yes and he’s right it just was a very interesting moment that draymond’s the one who brought up no one said hey Draymond the fact that they gave clay all this money after he Tory seal no like Draymond brought it up himself so um interesting stuff again I I I’ve heard it’s not as pissy right now doesn’t mean they’re going to do a deal I just think they’ve had some they’ve had time yeah yeah it’s just he was pissed like clay was pissed now clay was pissed and from my dealings with the NBA players over the years football players baseball players there’s an underwritten rule you don’t speak on another man’s money in no circles you don’t talk contracts you don’t bring up contracts you don’t talk about what’s in the man’s Pockets or in his bake account so that’s if Clay’s pissed about that it doesn’t surprise me because piss a Draymond for that because in all my daing are going to the locker rooms and hearing Unwritten rules and being talking to players off the Record and this is not just over the last four year this is what I’ve been doing the last decade in hear from players and even in our business you know radio host we don’t walk around hey Guru how much do you make hey Shas how much you makeing what’s your contract look like that’s off limits most settings in the workplace it’s a taboo topic to talk about how much people are making yeah so most settings most settings well I think it should be all settings you don’t talk about what other people make you just don’t it’s ACC like you just don’t do it so I could see why maybe clay was a little pissy at that like why you bringing up my buddy what if they didn’t you know what I’m saying like it’s just you just don’t go there yeah this is really unfortunate well the let’s get to the Draymond aspect first cuz there’s also the bite that you played at the beginning of him being frustrated at management so let me get this straight Draymond who already alienated Kevin Durant who already alienated Jordan P now is alienating Klay Thompson interesting I don’t know if he’s alienating Klay Topson I wouldn’t go that far but clay was a little like bringing up my buddy why why you bringing up my buddy again Draymond I would say alienating but he would okay how whatever word we want to use to describe it but Draymond involved in some way of ticking someone off and wow shocker uh now the part about clay the reality is and this is just how I feel and people can disagree I just feel like Clay’s been angry a lot for the last two years angry at himself angry at his play angry at the the fans angry at management over the the contract talks angry at you know uh other players around the league whether it be Devin Booker angry at the role that he has angry at the shot selection that people were frustrated with him and they had to sit down them multiple times two years ago and frustrated with the role he had this year I just feel like he’s frustrated in general um and I and I get it like I do I’m not I’m not even I understand like he’s he’s had a a very difficult spot in his career and it’s playing out in the public eye and I’m trying to be empathetic on that on on some level but at the same time it’s like I don’t know what he wants does he just want to stay with the Warriors at all costs does he want top dollar does he want respect it’s respect I think it’s respect I think that they’ve been respectful well they have been respectful brought back after not playing for two years and put him right into the starting lineup and they tried to Aces him and and they did everything they could to try to make him feel good it’s not their job to make him feel happy every day well number one I don’t think that’s the case that he was annoyed every single day number one I think he was very happy he helped you WI a fourth championship he helped you win a fourth championship number two number two with Klay Topson it’s a respect dig because when you when you’re homegrown and you’re putting up his but like especially last season like think about last two seasons ago when they lose to the LA lakers’ game six wigets left the team for two months he was very inconsistent on the court very inconsistent on the court but clay got a lot of the rhetoric Klay got a lot of the talk clay got a lot of the a lot of the blame from the fans or from whatever and so when you get offered a two-year $48 million deal then you’re hearing that hey you want the big three to retire and want to wear Warrior uniforms forever you get a two-year deal or two-year offer and you look at Draymond Green and you look at it’s not even a buddy it’s the length of the year the length that a contract wait I’m getting two years but these guys get three years and a player option yeah it’s a respect thing it’s a respect thing and not that you’re a free agent and maybe you’re getting he realizes that he maybe needs to adjust his game and maybe this situation isn’t the best for him would say he wasn’t happy but a lot of things didn’t go his way but by the way everybody the moan about Klay Thompson coming off the what of the more one of more one of the things that doesn’t get talked about enough is that he did go to the pitch and he was to a and he played very well and you didn’t hear a peep out of him actually you heard a young man who matured when he came off the what he tell F over oh he told us this on the postgame show too you know coming off the bench is actually good for me I can see how the game is Flowing I can see what I need to do to kind of interject myself and come in and help the team he came off the bench and played a lot better played a lot better so I I don’t know like I I thought the young man kind of sat back was happy realiz that hey I’m going to come off the and help this team win and get my 30 minutes what else do you want from me what else do you want I I just look I these guys all talk about how it’s a business and you can’t talk about what other people are making yet they want their contracts to align with each other like there’s a lot of double talk and and I I honestly do see both sides of of the conversation but the reality is is like if you guys are all going to say it’s a business it’s a business a business and then get offended when business is being conducted I I don’t know man I I I don’t think you can have your cake and eat it too and I just this to me just the writing’s on the wall and it feels like the timing is right for all parties to just kind of go in their separate ways there’s too much emotions and there’s too much anger this feels like a relationship I don’t think there’s any anger I think I think the anger is just maybe some annoy maybe some an NOS but but to look at the off like let’s just talk basketball you feel disrespected by the amount of years basetball by the amount of numbers let’s talk basketball for a second is this situation in terms of a basketball team and the way the Warriors play the best basketball situation for Klay Thompson all the movement read react if you’re playing you know if you’re playing with nons scores that’s going to restrict the airspace of Klay Thompson it’s going to restrict the air space of Stephen Curry maybe Klay sees that saying I don’t always get the best shot opportunities here because we’re not able to break people off the dribble we’re not the most athletic team maybe I need to go somewhere they where they have more athleticism more star power more guys who create wide open shots for me just from a basketball standpoint a basketball standpoint isn’t the best situation for Klay Thompson strictly basketball just in terms of running up and down the court playing defense playing offense in this system that Steve curlo the motion offense with read react I ask is this the best system for Klay toson mve forward I mean where he gets to shoot 20 times a game yeah I I think it’s pretty good shoot 20 times a game last year well what was 17 16 and when he come off B 15 shot 15 times I I think it’s a pretty good system for him I think he’s also going to get he I think he how many those shots were wide open how many shots were contested you know how many times did you have to see Klay Topson last year averaged 14.7 shots per game okay and that went down to probably like 12 once he came off the bench 15 shots a game is still really good I I think may maybe he wants more I don’t know I think he works in a lot of system how many shots we good though you know say but that’s also when I’m looking at Klay Thompson the way he ages and the reason why I asked if it’s the best system for because they’re running around off multiple screens we all realize he doesn’t have the same legs that he had uh before the injuries so that’s a lot of movement um that’s a lot of movement offensively then how does it translate defensively where’s your legs at well we saw with Steph Curry’s legs offensively and defensively Curry was gasped by the end of the season those legs were damn near dead you know what I’m saying he he need a day off so then you don’t think it makes basketball sense to bring him back that’s what you’re saying I think basketball sense basketball wise it may be best best for both parties to move on and and this is why I say that too Draymond Green basically acknowledged something on his latest podcast he he he acknowledged something and the Warriors as a whole may need to adjust and maybe Klay Thompson doesn’t fit to this new offense or this adjustment during a recent episode of the germond green show go to state veteran Champion provided his thoughts on another way the team can improve over the off season the spoken forward believes this team needs to change its approach to get things back on track green said it changes and we’re adjusting to that change which is great I think Steve Kerr is doing an incredible job where he’s becoming more open to Jonathan kaminga having a ball more or kiga being in the pick a roll rubing some I running some isos for kiga it takes some time to adjust to that when you’ve had the level of success we’ve had doing what we’ve done so they’re right there from draym Green he’s admitting and acknowledging that there could be a tweak in a system that we’ll see more uses for a player like Jonathan kiga more pick a roll and more isos where does clay fit and that in this offense for the amount of money that he may want and the amount of years that he may want with the decision that you’re going to have to make on Jonathan kaminga in the next year or two whether it’s 30 million a year or whatnot plus you still got Moses moty so I’m not sure the system you can maximize Klay Thompson’s usage in the system anymore now you say 15 but how many his shots were good how many shots were quality you you get what I’m saying I know I do but I also I’ve watched him bring the ball up the court not pass to anyone and just Chuck up a bad shot or take a heat check after he hasn’t touched it for three or four possessions so like it goes both ways um I just think everybody’s kind of saying the same thing without saying it which is like Clay’s a role player at this point and that’s not a that’s not a bad thing or that’s not some like diminishing comment it’s just like it is what he is right now and we could talk about how much is a role player worth and and on each team what is the you know what does role player even mean right like on some level like the ninth man has a role player but you could be a very very good role playing starter and you could be a very very good I think play Thompson is a knife man I think maybe a six I’m saying I’m trying to define the role he could be a sixth man he could be a fifth man fourth man whatever but like I just think he’s a role player and and I don’t know if he stays here he views himself as a role player I think when he stays here he views himself rightfully as a pillar he’s am men exactly and so I think that there’s this emotional barrier that is very difficult for the player and the team to kind of pound through where your role evolves I just think it’s very difficult well there there’s a couple things here there’s a couple things here um one bringing the ball up the floor clay should never be bringing the ball up the floor sometimes you get that in the offense when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing but Klay Thomson is not that guy and I think he needs to go to a team where they have shot creators for him um when it comes to Klay Thompson and I’m looking at him so in the in the 18 game stretch where he didn’t start there’s four starts within his 18 G stretch he basically came off the pitch he averaged 14 shots a game averag 18 points shot 44% and he shot 42% from three I mean those are some great numbers there’s a lot of NBA teams that would take those numbers but what more so what I’m focus on here as we move forward and Clay may move forward he may move on and I think I think that a change of C re best for for both parties I’m not comfortable with seeing the Warriors pay Klay Thompson 30 million a year 25 million a year at this point because that’s basically saying running it back with a 10th Place team I don’t think you could do that but if Klay Thompson decides to move on fine my my interest here is what Dr is what Draymond Green said I think we’re adjusting to change I think Steve Ker’s doing an incredible job where he’s becoming more open to Jonathan kaminga having a ball more or kaminga being in the pick a roll running some isos for kaminga it takes some time to adjust to that when you’ve had the level of success that we’ve had doing what we’ve done and now I asked a question 88895 79570 how we feeling about kaminga getting more usage having the ball more playing more pick a roll play more isolation I’ve heard from a lot of you out there you want Steve C to adjust your system you want Steve KT to run more pick a roll high ball screens maybe that’s what John the kiga and Stephen Curry are we willing to deal with that because there’s going to be growing pains with that and then if you do do that now we get to see if kaminga is worth that 30 million per season now you get to make a educated logical decision on whether not you want to extend John the kiga but right there jond GRE admitting that Steve Kerr’s doing everything he can to implement John the kiga more in this offense is kaminga ready for that and are we good with that as a fan base is we we we want to see the youngsters with the Giants right Ramos MOS and everybody else what to see the youngsters with the ners now I can get it to see a youngster who’s going to be in the elevated John kaminga I think you can run some of that stuff in certain times of the game I don’t think he’s ready like for this team to be a a a playoff team and and be an impactful team ah man I mean how many times have I watched kaminga triple into someone and crash doesn’t mean he can’t grow uh but the players around him and this goes back to the Klay Thompson thing like the players around him really matter like if draymond’s on the floor with him while he’s doing that whoever’s guarding draymond’s going to Sag off as we talked about help the helper and and all that stuff with the Boston conversation just imagine you have five Defenders and if you’re not defending Draymond Green on the outside the second kaminga puts the ball on the floor what is the guy guarding Draymond going to do run over and double kaminga so unless kaminga is going to take a Quantum Leap Forward as a passer and in discernment and and I hope he does call me a little skeptical I I think we’re in for for a big growth period like you’re going to see a very steep learning curve you just all of a sudden become and and again this is like the top end of it like a Luca donic where hey I’m going to run High pick and roll and I’m going to destroy you from three-point land mid-range I could go to the rim because I’m I’m bigger and stronger and I could pass the ball like there’s many freeway egin from where kaminga is currently at least what I saw last year and where the best players in the league who do that high pick and roll stuff I think at times second unit running elements of it I got to see what it looks like all right here’s Draymond Green on making I feel like a hater bringing that like yeah yeah yeah you do sound like a hater here’s Draymond Green on making the adjustments like we changing bro like like you said we getting older like we are not the same basketball team that we were in 2019 or even in 2022 for that matter like yeah it changes you know what I’m saying and and I think you know we’re adjusting to that change which is which is great like Steve I think Steve is doing an incredible job where he’s becoming more open to like Jonathan kaminga having the ball more and like kaminga being in the pick and roll and like running some isos for kaminga whereas you know it takes some time to adjust to that when you’ve had the level of success that we’ve had so that’s Draymond Green alongside Danny Green uh the green show to Draymond Green show but Danny Green sat in on it he’s a champion as well as Draymond Green explained where the Warriors are at so I look at Jonathan kinga’s last 41 games right 41 games played you said maybe he can’t take the Luca jump nobody has him to be LCA but you see what he did in the last 41 games right this is just raw data and then you look at the ey test and it tells you that he was impactful this season where he averaged a 19 points he shot 55% from the floor he shot 37 35 a half% from three and his free throws he shot 79% for the free throw line and you saw the little 10-ft midi that he always had in the postup game whether it’s the mid block down on the paint he can hit the little fade away right there in the paint he’ll dunk on your head he’s got the mid-range jumper I think defensively he could take another step as a on ball Defender and being good off the ball he may get lost at times he needs to work it out but on the ball on ball Defender and which Klay was so good at and which Wiggins was so good at a couple seasons ago I think kaminga could be so good as a two-way player as an on the ball Defender offensively it’s not the worst thing in the world to have JK say hey clear it out let me go to the rack and draw a foul I think he can take that next step the guy averaged 19 points a game over his last 41 if he gets the usage that he got during that stretch who’s the say JK can give you 23 22 23 points per game with high efficiency and more rebounding he gave you five and a half rebounds in just 29 minutes right so I think he can take a jump Jordan P took a jump why not JK Jordan PA took a massive jump that Championship season no he took he took I mean to average 20 in the league is is really impressive I mean to make a six seven point jump up to go to 22 23 he’d be like the most improved player in the league he’d be he’d be at least in a on a very short list ni he did it yeah and like and I take away like I know he I know he averaged 16 points per game uh overall yeah yeah yeah but I’m looking at when he sat there and went to the media after the different Nuggets game in which he didn’t play the last 18 minutes and he was seeing sporadic playing time where there were 16 minutes a game 18 minutes a game once he you know wasn’t playing a crush time he took that step once he took that step once he took that step JK became a different player Dam near average 20 no I I understand but like they need to make moves to free up playing time for him because like I go back to that playing game and I’m saying like he had like a three minute stretch in the second quarter where he scored the the three buckets in a row or whatever it was he barely played it felt like until the game was decided so like they need to clear spots for him to play well that’s where Klay are moving on there’s going to be usage opportunities once clay moves on cuz it sounds like clay will move on and how we fill in about that 888 957 9570 are we ready for that as a
Klay Thompson might be better off finishing his career on a team that is not the Warriors.
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