Injuries to star players have kept the Warriors’ mission to defend their 2022 NBA championship slightly off track all season.
Steph Curry has missed 23 of Golden State's 61 contests. Andrew Wiggins has been out since Feb. 14 due to personal reasons. And Draymond Green suffered a setback on his injured right knee Sunday that the Warriors still are evaluating.
One consistent healthy source has been Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who is stringing together one of the best two-month stretches of his career. He has embraced the on-court captain role while the other three members of the Warriors’ core four -- Curry, Green and Andre Iguodala -- watch from the sidelines.
“Klay is really stepping up on the leadership front,” coach Steve Kerr said after the Warriors’ 109-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. “He’s been more vocal. He is encouraging the guys.
“I think he recognizes that he is much needed in that role with all of our guys out. He’s done a great job with that.”
Thompson has played in 49 of the Warriors’ 61 contests this season. All but one of his absences were due to him resting on the second night of a back-to-back, a milestone he conquered before the All-Star break.
To survive, the Warriors' offense needed Thompson to rediscover his superstar form. He answered the call.
Golden State Warriors
Since the calendar flipped to 2023, Thompson is averaging 26.4 points while shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range in 20 games. He has scored at least 30 points six times, including a 32-point burst with six 3-pointers Sunday against Minnesota.
“I love the challenge,” Thompson said after Sunday's game on the ESPN broadcast. “These other guys getting reps is just going to make us stronger come the postseason. Strength in numbers is what we’ve been all about for a decade now. So if the usage rate goes up, I’m up for meeting the challenge.
“I’m just going to continue to be myself, let it fly and fly around these screens and have fun.”
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Teammates have noticed Thompson's extra effort as a leader on the floor.
“He’s a Hall of Famer,” Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo said Sunday night. “What he’s doing is not out of the ordinary. He’s been having a hell of a career. Guys go down, Klay Thompson is still Klay Thompson at the end of the day.
“You learn a lot from him. He doesn’t say much. Just goes out there and hoops. I think that’s why he’s going to be a future Hall of Famer."
Thompson finding his swagger and world-class 3-point shot once again has been the brightest part of an otherwise frustrating Warriors season.