Say this for Klay Thompson: In addition to being probably the second-greatest 3-point shooter to ever play, at least of the catch-and-shoot variety, he is an absolute gamer of the highest caliber.
After Thompson was benched, for the first time in his career, during closing time against Phoenix a little more than a week ago, a report surfaced that he and the Warriors are "not close" on a contract extension as free agency looms this summer.
Whatever is left of Thompson's career, certainly in Golden State but perhaps as a high-quality NBA player in general, was, and is, starting to become legitimately questioned.
At the time of the Phoenix benching, Thompson was shooting below 40% overall while converting just 27% of his "open" 3-pointers, as categorized by NBA tracking data. He was averaging a career low in scoring by an appreciable margin. His defense isn't near what it used to be. He couldn't, and still can't, create much of anything for himself.
He was asked about his demotion, even if it was just an isolated occurrence for the moment, and though he was professional in his press-conference accountability, he was clearly ticked.
Not discouraged.
Ticked.
He's been in this defiant, "I'll get the last laugh" sort of state for the better part of last season and the start of this one -- openly confronting anyone (Devin Booker, reporters) and everyone whom he's suspected to be questioning his game after two major injuries.
See, that's the difference between a guy like Thompson and a more circumstantially confident athlete, which, if we're being honest, is most athletes. It's easy to believe in yourself to the fullest when you're rolling. But when you go from draining 3s in your sleep to becoming suddenly incapable of making anything on a consistent basis, that's when true mental toughness is tested.
So far, Thompson is passing that test with flying colors. Over his last four games, Thompson has scored 30 against the Clippers, 24 against the Nets, 28 against the Blazers, and on Tuesday, he put up 24 more in the Warriors' thrilling win over the Celtics.
Those are his four highest-scoring games of the season. That is not a coincidence. Nor is the 50% he is shooting from 3 over that stretch (23-for-46). Thompson felt the heat, and rather than melt, he decided to fight fire with fire. That's a competitor. Physically, mentally. Thompson is as tough as they come. That can never be questioned.
What can be questioned is whether Thompson can maintain this kind of production, or at least something close to it. Or if it's just a patch of smooth air on an otherwise turbulent ride. A certain amount of streakiness has long been baked into his shooting, but, for the most part, he was lights out last season when he led the league with 301 3-pointers at a 41% clip.
He fell off in dramatically the playoffs, where he had some really rough showings -- particularly against the Lakers, when he essentially shot the Warriors out of that series. When the single-minded shot selection continued into the season, and the misses continued to pile up, we started crafting a eulogy for the old Thompson.
That guy, who flew as a legitimate wingman alongside Stephen Curry, was dying. This new guy, who has been reduced to a member of Curry's support staff, save for the rare nights when the clock gets turned back, is going to lack consistency.
Indeed, there is still far more evidence that this recent stretch is the exception to the new, rockier rule of Thompson's shooting. But it doesn't take much to get your hopes up. Last season wasn't that long ago.
That's what the Warriors are banking on. They aren't going to trade Thompson. If they want to squint to see themselves as a contender, they can only do so if Thompson is playing like he has over the last four games.
The Thompson they had to bench makes it impossible to see Golden State, its pedigree notwithstanding, as an honest contender, which many people did to start the season. This is a stay-tuned situation, but for right now, Thompson has gone from feeling the heat to turning up his own dial.
And for that, regardless of whether he can continue it, he deserves a ton of credit. To take a benching and just come right back out blazing, seemingly unfazed mentally, is tough stuff.
Given Thompson's almost unbreakable past -- this is a guy who was honestly going to try to keep playing in a Finals game with a torn ACL, the Game 6 guy who pulled the Warriors back from the dead against OKC in 2016, the gunslinger who has never, not even one time, shrunk from a challenge -- I suppose we shouldn't be all that surprised. Dude is a gamer. Always has been. Always will be.
