Why is Klay Thompson coming off the bench? Possible reasons explored 

Klay Thompson will be coming off the bench in the Golden State Warriors' second night of the back-to-back against the Utah Jazz on Thursday for their anticipated rematch following the 129-107 win on Monday.

In the 130-125 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday, Thompson was limited to 12 points, shooting 4 for 14, including 1 for 9 from the 3-point line. In response, the Warriors adjusted their starting lineup by promoting Brandin Podziemski to shooting guard.

It marks the first occasion Thompson will come off the bench since the 2011-12 season, his rookie year.

At 34, Thompson has found himself in a shooting slump, averaging 15.6 points over the last 12 games with a shooting percentage of 37.4%, including a 30.6% success rate from beyond the 3-point line.

Recently, Podziemski has been finishing games instead of Thompson, who was called upon to close out the fourth quarter in Wednesday's game against the Clippers.

However, in the final minute, with the Warriors down by three, Thompson committed an unnecessary foul on Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 39 seconds remaining.

The Warriors had the option to play through the possession, but instead, Westbrook was sent to the line where he converted two free throws. Coach Steve Kerr emphasized post-game that fouling was not part of the team's strategy at that moment.

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"Its really hard": Klay Thompson on not closing out games

The Warriors have gone 7-2 in their previous nine outings, including the trend of Klay Thompson not finishing games. He was benched in the Warrior's 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 5.

Steve Kerr opted to substitute Thompson with 7:19 remaining and decided against reinserting him into the game. Instead, Kerr finished the game with Gui Santos, who had accumulated only 61 career NBA minutes before that.

Following the game, Thompson said about not completing the fourth quarter:

“Yeah, you kidding me? To go from one of the best players … It’s hard for anybody.”

Jonathan Kuminga's ascent in the Warriors' lineup has led to reduced minutes for veterans like Kevon Looney and Thompson, with the latter getting benched in crucial game moments.

Coach Steve Kerr said that he's open to continuing the trend with Brandin Podziemski if his performances warrant it.

“If the group’s playing well, you stay with it. He’s (Klay Thompson) mentally tough.”

It's without a doubt that the veteran four-time champion would be fine with taking a lesser role for the betterment of the team, having had the success to be a potential future Hall of Famer.

Klay Thompson has averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 41.5% shooting, including 36.8% from the 3-point line on 8.7 attempts this season.