The Warriors have let Klay Thompson work through his struggles, knowing full well that it will take time for him to regain his All-Star form after 941 days away from the NBA.
Thompson played well entering the All-Star break, but he has struggled on the other side of the hiatus. In five games, Thompson is averaging just 15.8 points per game while shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from 3-point range.
The Warriors know they can't reach their desired destination if Thompson isn't right, but coach Steve Kerr is only focusing on one thing as he lets his star guard find his way.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"The only thing that I'm stressing with Klay right now is to just get great shots," Kerr said Thursday after the Warriors' 113-102 win over the Nuggets in Denver. "If he's not open, to move it on. I think we've really tried to give Klay a lot of freedom in his comeback, just to be able to feel the game. Not to harp on mistakes and that sort of thing. But the bottom line is we are at our best when the ball moves, and we're getting good shots."
After meeting Will Ferrell, aka Jackie Moon, before Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Thompson scored 20 points on 9-for-23 shooting from the field. It was the first time Thompson cracked the 20-point mark since the break, but he still was unhappy with the number of open looks he missed.
On Thursday in Denver, Thompson scored 18 points but went just 7 of 20 from the field and 2 of 8 from distance.
RELATED: Wiggins' free throw struggles becoming potential playoff problem
Golden State Warriors
Scoring is in Thompson's DNA. The buckets will come, and when they do, the floodgates will open.
Kerr and the Warriors know that. They aren't putting pressure on Thompson. He's forcing shots and missing many of them. That's a problem with a solution that's destined to come.
With Thompson, it's a matter of when, not if, he rediscovers the shooting touch that currently evades him. The Warriors just hope he finds it by the time the true title chase arrives.