Klay Thompson, a cornerstone of the Golden State Warriors, took a different role on Thursday night’s game against the Utah Jazz, coming off the bench rather than starting as usual.
Replacing Thompson in the starting lineup was Brandin Podziemski, with Thompson not being listed on the team’s injury report.
This marked a significant departure for Thompson, as it was his first time playing in a game where he hadn’t started since his rookie season in 2011-12. Throughout his illustrious career spanning ten seasons with the Warriors, Thompson has made 699 starts.
Despite the change in his role, Thompson demonstrated his prowess by contributing 17 points in the first half of Thursday’s game, as reported by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
In a post-game interview with NBC, Thompson noted that coming off the bench provided him with fresh legs, particularly important on the second night of a back-to-back game. He not only scored 17 points but also surpassed the milestone of 15,000 career points during the match.
These Warriors reactions to Klay's late-game foul 😬 pic.twitter.com/3ehLxrrbwl
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 15, 2024
The Warriors put up an impressive 84 points in the first half of the game, showcasing their offensive firepower.
Prior to this game, Thompson’s performance had shown a slight dip compared to previous seasons, with him averaging 17.0 points per game and shooting 41.5 percent from the field in the 49 games he started. This marked his lowest production rate since the 2012-2013 season and his most inconsistent shooting since his rookie year.
Thompson’s benching came on the heels of a critical moment in the previous game against the Los Angeles Clippers, where he intentionally fouled Russell Westbrook late in the game, a move that drew criticism from head coach Steve Kerr. The Warriors’ reactions to this decision were evident and showcased the team’s disappointment.
In contrast to Thompson’s performance, Podziemski had a standout game against the Clippers, recording a career-high 25 points. Podziemski, a rookie, has started 13 games for the Warriors this season, averaging 9.8 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent.
Thompson, who recently turned 34, acknowledged the challenge of adjusting to reduced playing time, especially with the emergence of younger talents like Podziemski. Despite this, Thompson maintained a positive outlook, expressing happiness for the team’s younger players.
Before the loss to the Clippers, the Warriors had been on a five-game winning streak and sought to return to the win column in Thursday night’s game.
