The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of an injury crisis. While star Stephen Curry has been sidelined since the first week of February, Draymond Green compounded their issues after injuring his knee in the loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. On top of that, Andrew Wiggins has missed the last few matches due to personal reasons. This has brought the offensive and leadership load on the shoulders of Klay Thompson and he hasn’t let the team down. Thompson has managed to rise above the constant scrutiny from fans online and has silenced most of his critics.
While Jordan Poole has been a prominent offensive force this season, Thompson has the tendency of taking over games. After a record-breaking performance against the Houston Rockets, Thompson went off yet again against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Klay Thompson found motivation from haters
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The 33-year-old led all scorers with 32 points in the 109-104 win over Playoffs rival, Minnesota Timberwolves. After the game, Klay joined a post-game interview where he was asked about his motivations amid a hot stretch of scoring.
To that, Thompson said, ?I mean, just a lot of Twitter handles where I should not be spending time. So, that was probably enough good for me to say. But you know, as athletes, we look for things to motivate us.? This was Thompson?s 14th game with more than six three-pointers made this season.?
?And if it?s just, uh, some fans talking mess or other players, whatever it is, you know. You have to do something, especially in your 12th(year), to get you to go every night. So, I don?t know who called me washed, I was just saying in general,? added Thompson.
The host went on to mention how he liked this version of Thompson as the team?s first option on offense. Given the fact that Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and even Andrew Wiggins have been out of the rotation, keeping the Warriors in contention for the Playoffs is commendable.
Klay Thompson stepped out of his comfort zone in the absence of Stephen Curry
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In the post-game interview, the four-time NBA champion talked about how he had to step out of his comfort zone in order to lead the team. While Thompson is not the most vocal guy on the team, he prefers to lead by example instead.
However, since the absence of the rest of the stars, Thompson has started calling sets on the floor. Even being encouraging on the bench in order to lead the young guys who are on the Warriors roster.
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The five-time All-Star also mentioned how time has helped him evolve, not just as a player, but as a leader as well. Hopefully, Thompson can continue to lead the team in the absence of other leaders.