Absent in Tokyo and for the first preseason matches of the Warriors, Klay Thompson only played one game (against Denver) before the start of serious things. The back even avoided doing five-against-five during the summer, because he suffered from a psychological block.
Injured in the Achilles tendon in November 2020, just before the start of the 2020/21 regular season, more than a year after his cruciate ligament rupture of the knee in the 2019 Finals, the quadruple champion did not want to relive that.
“We played until June 18 and I started to come back to training on July 10”he says at the official NBA website. “So I had two and a half months to work solidly. Even though I didn’t do 5×5, I still improved. I wanted to do 5×5 in front of the technical staff, so when they gave me the green light, my confidence skyrocketed. The last time I did this in my corner, it didn’t end well. »
How does he feel after this somewhat special summer program?
“Incredibly well. It was a great offseason. I am fit and healthy. Mentally, I am invigorated. I worked a lot individually, working on my shot, my dribbling and my defense. I also spent a lot of time in the weight room. All this three to four hours a day. It feels good compared to the last two off-seasons when I was only doing rehabilitation and strengthening. »
“I enjoy every day in the NBA with joy”
Giving himself a good mark for his past season and congratulating himself on having been the Warriors’ second scorer in addition to having been good at the best time, in the playoffs and in the Finals, after fairly irregular season matches, Klay Thompson has a goal in mind: to find the All-Star Game, which he experienced every year between 2015 and 2019.
“I am a perfectionist. I think my shooting percentages will be higher this season.” he predicts after shooting at 38.5% in 3-pt shooting in 2021/2022, his worst percentage in a career. “I expect to play at an All-Star level and I hope to be that again. I will be limited to 20 minutes at the start of the season, but with the experience of last season and the fact of not arriving during the exercise, I think I will have a very good season. »
As he has continuously done this year, Klay Thompson is above all delighted to replay in the NBA after the complicated months spent in the infirmary between June 2019 and January 2022.
“The most important thing for me is to have fun. I have the opportunity to win a fifth title when, as a rookie, I would never have imagined that. I enjoy every day in the NBA with joy. I’m not 21 anymore, I’m going to be 33 this season and we don’t last forever on the court. We are not musicians or actors, who can do this all their lives. I will enjoy every day, no matter how much is left. »
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | GOS | 66 | 24 | 44.3 | 41.4 | 86.8 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 82 | 36 | 42.2 | 40.1 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 16.6 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 81 | 35 | 44.4 | 41.7 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 18.4 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 77 | 32 | 46.3 | 43.9 | 87.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 21.7 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 80 | 33 | 47.0 | 42.5 | 87.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 22.1 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.8 | 41.4 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 22.3 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 73 | 34 | 48.8 | 44.0 | 83.7 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 34 | 46.7 | 40.2 | 81.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 32 | 29 | 42.9 | 38.5 | 90.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 20.4 |
| Total | 647 | 33 | 45.8 | 41.7 | 84.9 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.6 | |
