• Steve Kerr has announced his intentions to play Klay Thompson as the Warriors’ power forward
• Kerr will be playing the lineup in preseason as Draymond Green recovers from injury
• This ensures Chris Paul will start in the backcourt alongside Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson has gone through hell and back to still be a 20-point scorer in the NBA. He recovered from two career-ending injuries to average 21.9 points last season. This year, Thompson will have a different role, joining the rotation of power forwards on the Warriors.
Steve Kerr has announced his intention to play Thompson as the power forward in a lineup with Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney. Draymond Green is currently out injured for preseason, which is why the change has been made.
“If we play the lineup we talk about on Saturday, Klay will guard the four-man. He’s so physically strong. He’s used to guarding post-up players after switches. We’re thinking Klay can guard as a four this year. We’re going to put him in coverages to defend pick-and-rolls as a four, which would be a different job for him.”
Steve Kerr sees Klay Thompson's role on defense evolving this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/DNCgOvJR5k
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 3, 2023
Kerr made it clear that this won’t be a one-time thing for Thompson, who will have to get used to playing that role more often to accommodate lineups with him, Curry, and Paul on the floor. It’ll be interesting to see if he or Paul go to the bench when Draymond is back at the start of the regular season.
NBA Fans Are Shocked At Steve Kerr’s Decision
After a bit of a letdown coaching season in 2022/23, Warriors fans want Kerr to prove he’s the best coach in the NBA without having a stacked roster. This news has led to a sour taste, with fans heavily criticizing the decision to use Thompson as a power forward.
Steve Kerr in The Gift that Keeps on Giving pic.twitter.com/1SymhhCXKw
— 🟣🏀 Chris (@HoopSpaces) October 3, 2023
One fan took shots at Kerr’s time with Team USA this summer.
No wonder why USA lost
— NBA Expert. (@WhatSeperatesU) October 3, 2023
One fan seemingly supported Kerr’s position by pointing out how the traditional power forward in the NBA is dead.
Irrelevant.
There is no such thing as a Power Forward in todays game. It's just simply 4-5 really tall Wings.
— The NBA Realist (@nbarealist23) October 3, 2023
Fans don’t think Klay will be capable of guarding power forwards in the league.
Klay guarding PFs pic.twitter.com/yL16MeuDcr
— Mob (@MobHoops) October 3, 2023
Fans joked about Klay being made to guard someone like Victor Wembanyama, expected to play as the power forward in San Antonio this season.
https://twitter.com/KDotTKL/status/1709336120129917171
One fan said the Warriors are behaving like an eight-seed.
8 seed behavior
— Mike Zakarian (@MikeZakarian) October 3, 2023
In my opinion, this could work. It minimizes Klay’s defensive responsibility on the perimeter and makes sure he’s fresher in late-game situations. He’s anyway used to guarding fours when there’s a 2-4 pick-and-roll.
Playing him in that role will give the Warriors more defensive solidity and consistency, but it’s a shame to see Jonathan Kuminga is still not being chosen for the responsibility.
Steve Kerr Refused To Confirm His Starting Five When Healthy
Starting Klay at the four in the absence of Draymond is explainable, even if I personally think Kuminga should get the opportunity. But it doesn’t seem like Kerr has ironed out his plans for the actual season, claiming he has six starters looking to earn starting minutes.
“We basically have six starters, the way I look at it, and only five can go each night. So, I haven’t decided yet what we’re gonna do, I wanna see training camp. We’re gonna try different combinations and take a look, but obviously, all six guys are gonna play a lot of minutes for us.”
Curry is 100% going to start, with the Warriors needing Kevon Looney’s rebounding and Andrew Wiggins’s perimeter defense. Draymond is the primary defensive option, so it’s unlikely he gets dropped when healthy.
Klay and Paula are fighting for the final starting spot, with no clear indicator of who should get it. Personally speaking, it should be Thompson for his strong regular season last year, proven chemistry with Curry, and off-ball ability. CP3 would do wonders if he left the Warriors’ bench and youngsters if he was willing to accept that role.
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