After two long years of battling ACL and Achilles tendon injuries, Klay Thompson made his return to professional basketball earlier this year in January. He averaged 20.4 points per game, shooting 38.5 percent from the three-point line in 32 games.
Thompson’s playoff performances, including his 31-point performance in Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies, helped the Warriors win the NBA title last season.
Thompson has long professed his gratitude to be back after two injuries that are widely seen as ending his career. On Showtime’s “All The Smoke,” hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson interviewed Klay Thompson, where he talked about everything from college basketball to the 2022 Finals.
When Jackson asked Thompson about some of his most memorable stories from his time in Washington State (’08-’11), Thompson spoke about when he was arrested for possession of marijuana:
“Want to hear a funny one? When I got ransacked for a penny in my driveway, yeah. It’s so ironic because two years later cannabis was legalized in Washington State.
“I had to apologise, I was suspended. It was the only time I made national headlines.
Clay added:
“It was in my glove box. I was driving very soberly. I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to be drunk driving, jeopardize my future.
“I’m coming home, I’ve got a bag on me, I’m like ‘this is going to be a decent night, I could play a rock band and relax. I see these flashing lights, I’m like, ‘No way, what’s going on?'”
He further expressed shock at being handcuffed for his “transgressions”:
“They were like ‘Sir, you have a broken tail light and we smell like marijuana, can you get out of the car?’ … They put me in handcuffs and I’m like, ‘For a bag of weed?'”
Klay further added that a one-game suspension he received from the Washington State Cougars for the misdemeanor led to the team losing to UCLA in a game crucial to earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. .
Does a perfectly healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson backcourt guarantee a repeat?
With Klay Thompson back in full health, the Warriors look much deeper and with Poole and Wiggins signing big extensions much of their future is secured.
Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry’s backcourt was the foundation upon which the Warriors’ championships were built. The difference in spacing with or without either of the two guards is multiple, and the following argument still stands: no one has beaten the Warriors when they are whole.
With Poole coming off the bench as a real three-point shooting threat, which can also get him to the hole as well if not better, the Warriors are among the two favorites to come out of the Western Conference with the Clippers being the other.
However, seeding and load management are two key factors that will determine the fate of the Warriors. The Warriors are an older team, and while Steph, Klay and Green can still play significant minutes, the second unit needs to be playoff-ready by April.
With Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody and others lacking in experience, it would be up to the coaching staff to manage the Big 3 minutes and give the bench enough playing time which could see the Dubs fail to finish in the top four, however. unlikely as it may seem.
Comments are closed.