After more than two years without playing, almost 30 months even, and two big injuries, Klay Thompson logically took several weeks to regain its sensations and its effectiveness.
His debut was marked by a big clumsiness, but for a month, the triple champion has clearly corrected the situation with 27.3 points on average over his last 11 matches. With a clean 42% at 3-pts.
Against the Pelicans, for the last game of the season, he could make a stone’s throw twice: by scoring 30 points, he secured a season with an average of 20 points (29 points were needed very precisely) and he also scored a third straight game at 30 units, after his 36- and 33-point outings against the Lakers and Jazz.
He did better than settle for the 30-point mark, eventually scoring 41 points at 16/29 in shooting and 7/14 at 3-pts. This is his season record as well as his best mark since January 2019.
“After what I’ve been through, I will never take a 40-point game lightly”he confides for NBC Sports. “It’s hard to do that in the NBA. It doesn’t matter the defenders and the opposing team: 40 points is 40 points. It’s a beautiful evening and a great way to end the season for me. Yes, I’m back. »
“I’m ready for next weekend”
A season that was played in three stages. The start on the bench waiting for his return, then an irregular and difficult first part between January and February, before finally this last successful month.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs this year, but I held on and I will continue”he continues for the Mercury News. “I’m on a good streak heading into the playoffs. I can’t wait to play them. It was painful to watch them the last two years and I’m ready for next weekend. »
The second “Splash Brother” therefore ends this ninth season with an average of 20.4 points at 38% from 3-pts, which nevertheless remains his worst career percentage behind the arc.
Besides, is Steve Kerr surprised to find his player, after such a long absence, already above 20 units scored per game?
“That doesn’t surprise me, because it’s Klay,” he answers. “He’s one of the best shooters of all time. The most important thing was that he found his rhythm, and his physical condition returned. At the beginning, he wanted to find everything so badly that he forced things. It was very nice to see him regain his balance. »
| Klay Thompson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 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 | 31 | 29 | 42.3 | 37.9 | 91.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 19.7 |
| Total | 646 | 33 | 45.7 | 41.7 | 85.0 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.5 | |
