Klay Thompson Comments on Role with Warriors, Kevin Durant
While Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will all have to adjust in some way following Kevin Durant's arrival, don't tell Thompson he'll be making any sort of sacrifice for the Golden State Warriors' greater good.
In an interview with The Vertical's Shams Charania, Thompson explained how he doesn't think Durant's presence will force him to alter how he plays:
"I feel kind of disrespected that people keep using the term sacrifice to describe me and describe us. We all want to see each other do well. But I'm not sacrificing [expletive], because my game isn't changing. I'm still going to try to get buckets, hit shots, come off screens. I want to win and have a fun time every game we play.
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Durant agreed with Thompson's sentiment:
"We want Klay to stay Klay. We don't want him to change. The games dictate where the shots come from. I may shoot 12 shots one night; Klay may shoot eight or nine shots one night, and Steph may shoot 25 shots one night. And it could be a different flow another night.
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In truth, Thompson may not be far off the mark. The two-time All-Star wasn't exclusively a three-point shooter, but he averaged more catch-and-shoot attempts (8.5) than any other player in the league, per NBA.com. Thompson shot 43.4 percent from the field on catch-and-shoots, including 44 percent from three-point range.
USA Today's Sam Amick argued Thompson may see his numbers go down next year:
"This is a Warriors team that, having landed [Durant] via free agency this summer, now has four All-Stars (including two former MVPs) and still one ball. And this is a player in Thompson who—two All-Star appearances, one FIBA gold medal and one NBA title later—is coming off a season in which he posted career highs in scoring (22.2 points per game), field goal attempts (17.3) and three-point attempts (8.1).
Translation: if anyone has more to lose individually by Durant's arrival, it's the guy who once scored 37 points in a quarter and whose 41-point barrage in Game 6 of the latest Western Conference Finals against Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the best playoff performances of all time.
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While Thompson may not be able to average 20-plus points a night, he won't have to become a different player.
Since Thompson isn't usually the focal point of the offense, head coach Steve Kerr won't have to drastically adapt his role in the team to compensate for Durant. Thompson can camp out on the three-point line and wait for open opportunities to fall into his lap.
Part of what will make Golden State so imposing next year is how effectively it will be able to run pick-and-rolls, especially when Curry is the ball-handler and Durant is the roll man. Defenses will not only have to worry about those two—they'll also have to ensure Thompson and Green remain covered on the perimeter.
If anything, having Durant may help Thompson become an even more efficient shooter, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
