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Klay Thompson is having the worst season of his glittering career amidst the Golden State Warriors' struggles. Thompson is averaging 15.1 points but has never been this inefficient from the field for the defending champs.
With the Bay Area team off to a 4-7 start, some fans on social media have been calling on coach Steve Kerr to make lineup changes. However, in the "Damon & Ratto podcast, Kerr dismissed the idea of moving “Killa Klay” to the bench for Jordan Poole:
“No, that’s not something I’ve given any thought to. Jordan and Klay are very different players. Jordan’s more on the ball, Klay’s off the ball. When Steph is off the floor, we absolutely have to have Jordan on the floor.
“Klay is a starter. That five-man unit is the very best unit in the league. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to break up the unit.”
Klay Thompson is shooting just 36% this season, including 32.6% from 3-point land. Despite his struggles, opposing defenses still give him the respect he so rightfully deserves. Thompson’s reputation of getting hot at any time still forces defenses not to slack on him.
The Warriors’ five-man unit consisting of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney leads the NBA in offensive rating. Their ORTG of 129.9 is better than any five-man group by a mile, per NBA.com stats.
Kerr’s best lineup has also outscored opponents by 26.2 points, a league-best margin. No other five-man unit that has played at least 100 minutes comes close to that number.
Klay Thompson’s legendary chemistry with Steph Curry and Draymond Green is another reason why Kerr keeps him as a starter. The more comfortable Curry is, the better the Golden State Warriors’ chances are of winning.
As the Warriors’ head coach has emphasized, Jordan Poole’s ability to handle the ball and create for himself is essential for the second unit. Thompson, who greatly prefers to catch and shoot the ball, may not be as effective playing with the bench mob.
The Golden State Warriors need to play better defense rather than demote Klay Thompson
In the Golden State Warriors’ four championship runs, their defense has been solid to great. They ranked first, second, 11th and second in defensive rating in each of those championship years.
The offense has been receiving credit for their success largely due to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's firepower. However, the Bay Area team’s defense, led by Draymond Green, has been the unsung hero of their dynasty. Their defense has always been a huge reason for their championships in four of the last eight years.
This season, the Warriors have dropped to 27th in defensive rating.
Until they start playing championship-level defense throughout an entire game, whether Klay Thompson starts or not may not matter.
Another culprit in the Warriors’ struggles is their penchant for fouling, which is also related to their defense. They have committed the most fouls in the NBA this season with 23.9 per game.
When they save opponents by giving away too many fouls, where Jordan Poole and Thompson play in the lineup is unlikely to be an issue.
The Golden State Warriors have at least three things to improve on without solely focusing on who starts between Thompson and Poole.
Steve Kerr’s five-man unit has seen it all and done it all. He’s confident the Warriors will figure themselves out in due time.
Guess the Lakers players!
