Klay Thompson doesn’t think his 2022-23 NBA season went as poorly as some believe.
In an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Thompson spoke about his performance last season and why the perception may have been skewed.
“I think my problems have been a little overstated,” Thompson told Slater. “The microscope on our team is crazy now. You have to accept that. Sometimes I didn’t shoot the ball well. I am human. But guess what? I still led the league with three goals and had a 41 percent shooting percentage. That’s crazy. Over 300 brands. I won’t sell myself short. I know how incredible this is. “It’s hard work to do this after a torn cruciate ligament and an Achilles tendon.”
In 69 regular season games, Thompson averaged 21 points per game and a career-high 4.1 rebounds while leading the NBA with 301 rebounds on 3-pointers.
All in all, Thompson — in his first fully healthy season since 2019 — was as close to returning to form as the Warriors could have hoped.
However, he began to struggle in the Warriors’ first-round playoff series against the Sacramento Kings before collapsing in the semifinal loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In six games against Los Angeles, Thompson averaged 16.2 points per game on 34.3 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
The disappointing series against his hometown team left a bad taste in Thompson’s mouth and he came away with an honest assessment of his performance that gave him the motivation he needed this summer to prepare for the 2023-24 season.
“Stings bad,” Thompson said. “Bad. Because you want to win against a team that’s a division rival, you want to beat your hometown, you want to beat your friends who are fans of the team, you want to beat LeBron [James] apparently. We have such a deep history with him. Kudos to him. He’s still out here playing at the highest level possible. So, yes, it burns. Any time you miss your goal, and it happens a lot, that’s just motivation. It’s fuel. You think about it all summer. How could we have prepared better?”
“I learned that I was fried. I was tired. All of my shots in Game 6 were short. They were all online. They were just short. I don’t know if it’s mental or physical exhaustion. But it happens. Additionally, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I need to rely on my teammates and my intelligence to shoot the ball as efficiently as possible.”
Thompson promises to improve this season and hopes he can maintain consistent success throughout his 33-year-old season.
“When the time comes, I will be better this coming postseason,” Thompson added. “But no regrets (about last season). I played my absolute hardest game and at times it was the most elite game I’ve ever played. Especially the time after the New Year. I was on fire. Hopefully I can have a similar start to the season. I’m feeling so good right now. I’m doing well. I’ll be in the best shape possible come opening night.”
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast