The Golden State Warriors have had a rough start to this season, with some of the big names in their starting lineup not quite firing on all cylinders. Klay Thompson is one of them, and when the 33-year-old was asked about head coach Steve Kerr being so patient and not making any changes to the lineup, he got a bit upset.
“What, do you want me to bench me?” Thompson said. “You want to bench (Andrew Wiggins)? You want to bench us? OK. You could suggest it, it’s fine. But, thanks Steve, I guess. Like, I don’t know. Sometimes you earn these things like patience and time to find yourself and I think history is on our side when it comes to that stuff.”
When asked if he had heard people suggesting he should be benched, Thompson claimed he doesn’t care about any of that.
“I don’t care what people say,” Thompson stated. “They don’t do what we do. They can’t do what we do, that’s why they talk. Why would I? Like, come on. I don’t care what people say at this point in my life. Next question.”
"You want me to bench me?"
Klay Thompson got spicy when asked about Steve Kerr's patience sticking with the same starters 😅 pic.twitter.com/1Qb4GaSy9l
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 28, 2023
I think he certainly does care a little about what people have been saying, which is why he snapped a little at the first question. Klay is right, though, when he states that he and Andrew Wiggins have earned some patience and time, considering what they have accomplished for the franchise.
Thompson, of course, was a key member of all four of the title-winning teams in the last 10 years, while Wiggins was probably their second-best player when the Warriors won it all in 2022. At some point, though, that patience will start to wane, as these two have been flat-out terrible so far.
Klay Thompson And Andrew Wiggins’ Struggles In 2023-24
While some might think it’s a bit of an overstatement to say that the two have been terrible, it really isn’t.
Klay is averaging 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc. He is not the defender he once was either, and hasn’t fared all that well on that end of the floor too.
As for Wiggins, he has only put up 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.7% from the field and 25.5% from three.
No team in the league can hope of contending for a title if their second and third option on offense are playing like this. The only reason why the Warriors even have an 8-9 record is because of how great Stephen Curry has been.
If these two are struggling when we start to approach the All-Star break, then Kerr might have to send at least one of them to the bench. Chris Paul or Jonathan Kuminga could potentially replace them, depending on how their respective seasons unfold.
Kendrick Perkins Explained Why The Warriors Need To Trade Klay Thompson
Having Klay come off the bench would be a big move on Kerr’s part, but Kendrick Perkins believes an even bigger one needs to be made. The former NBA big man went as far as to urge the Warriors to move on from Thompson.
Perkins believes that Klay being the only notable Warrior to not get an extension has something to do with his struggles. He thinks mentally Klay isn’t quite there and wants the Warriors to trade him mid-season.
While there might be some merit to Perkins’ claims, there is absolutely no chance that the Warriors ship Thompson out during the season. He has done so much for the franchise and they would never take that drastic step.
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