Getty Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson celebrates after sinking a clutch shot during a playoff bout with the Memphis Grizzlies.
When one really stops and considers all that he was able to accomplish last season, Klay Thompson’s comeback campaign for the Golden State Warriors was an unprecedented, otherwordly success. Putting it in a historical context, he did what players like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway could not.
After being out of commission for two-plus years with a pair of devastating injuries, he was somehow able to return as something resembling his old self and an integral contributor to a title run. We’re talking a 20-point scorer one of the Association’s better deep threats.
Thompson isn’t content to be pretty good or just another useful hand, though — he wants to get back to being an elite-level player; a veritable dynamo at his position.
“I expect to play at an All-Star level again and hopefully become an All-Star,” Thompson told NBA.com‘s Mark Medina of his objectives this season. “Early on, I’m on a minutes restriction. So I’ll try to be as efficient as I can with those 20 minutes. Within the next few weeks, I expect to play starter minutes again. I expect to be great with all the training I did and all the experience I gained from last year.”
Thompson Has a Statistical Goal in Mind for the 2022-23 Season
Thompson didn’t stop with the blanket goal of being an All-Star player this season. Rather, he identified a very specific area of his game that he expects to elevate now that his injuries are finally in the rearview mirror.
“I’m a perfectionist,” he told Medina. “I think my shooting splits will be higher this season.”
To be clear, there was nothing wrong with Thompson’s splits last season. In a year that saw players hit 35.4% of their three-point attempts and 77.5% of their foul shots league-wide, the Warriors wing connected at rates of 38.5% and 90.2%, respectively. However, his overall field-goal conversion rate of 42.9% was the second-lowest number of his career. And he had never been below 40% from deep before 2021-22.
That’s not to say, though, that he’s at all disappointed with how his return played out. On the contrary, he was over the moon about what he was able to accomplish after encountering some early hurdles.
Klay Gives His Honest Assessment
As good as a he was for the Dubs, Thompson is the first to admit that he wasn’t quite the player that fans in the Bay Area had become accustomed to seeing before his injury saga. Just being on the floor and playing extended minutes was tough for him. He was still pleased with the way he was able to come back, though.
“Finding my legs was a big challenge. But I thought I was peaking at the right time. Although I was inconsistent in those 32 regular-season games, I thought I had a great playoff run. I wish I shot the ball better in the Finals. At the same time, I made big shots when it counted most. I was there when my team needed me most.”
So, how does he grade himself in his comeback?
“I give myself an A just for what I had to battle through to get to that point. To become the second-leading scorer on a championship team after having two and a half years off? I couldn’t wish for a better outcome.”