There is no doubt that Klay Thompson is a competitor.
Speaking with reporters Sunday after Warriors practice, the 32-year-old was asked how he felt about sitting out one game of the Warriors' back-to-backs and said that he would "love to play" for the opposing fans, but knows there is another objective in mind.
"So it never sits right with me, but I also understand that we have a huge goal and that is winning a championship so maybe it's not full throttle just yet," Thompson said. "But as the season wears on and I get in that peak physical shape -- which I'm very close to -- it would be nice to play in some of those.
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"Maybe not all of them, but a good amount."
It makes sense why coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors' training staff want to ease Thompson into playing back-to-back games and heavy minutes.
The Warriors star is still getting his body back into shape after suffering two catastrophic lower leg injuries that caused him to miss two seasons, and the last thing Golden State wants to do is rush that process.
Golden State Warriors
So far this season, the Warriors' sharpshooter is averaging 15.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game. While his rebounding and assists are similar to his career averages, Thompson is shooting a career-worst 36.4 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Kerr even has stated that Thompson may not play back-to-backs at all in the 2022-23 NBA season as his health is incredibly important to the Warriors' chances of repeating as champions, despite the unusually slow start to the season.
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That said, keeping Thompson fresh throughout the grind of the season is key if Golden State wants to win another championship.
Though it might irk Thompson to sit out back-to-backs, he will be hard-pressed to remember those thoughts should the Warriors make their way back to the Finals in June.