Klay Thompson: I should have sat out games to get healthy

You must really squint to find problems with the 8-0 Warriors – who could reach 72 wins – but Klay Thompson started slowly.

He averaged just 14 points on 29% 3-point shooting in his first five games. In his last three, though, those numbers improved to 20 and and 46%.

The shooting guard blamed a back injury.

Thompson, via Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area:

“It was killing me after Houston (Oct. 30) and for a couple games after that,” he said. “But now I’m pretty much back to normal.”

“In retrospect, I probably should have sat out to get it right.”

Sometimes, players embellish their injuries to excuse their struggles – to themselves and/or the public. If Thompson has put this injury – embellished or not – behind him, that bodes well for him and Golden State.

But, if this injury was as severe as Thompson said, I’m surprised the Warriors kept playing him. They’re proactive with health, and it’s early in the season. An extra win isn’t worth jeopardizing a lingering issue.

Would Thompson have stayed in the lineup if Steve Kerr were coaching? There’s a lot on Luke Walton’s plate, probably more than he’s quite ready to handle. I could see this slipping through.