There have been more than a few people critical of Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors lately.
Ever since he returned from his years-long absence from the NBA last season, Thompson hasn’t been consistent.
That’s understandable because he had to shake more than two years of rust off of himself and it’s not easy to play in the NBA, especially after several years of being on the bench.
There have been moments of greatness from Thompson, however, and Monday night was full of them.
54 POINTS for KLAY!
21/39 Shooting
10/21 Threes
8 Rebounds
46 Minutes“Those moments where you have the ball with the game on the line down the stretch & your teammates trust you, those are what you really live for as a competitor.”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 3, 2023
Thompson went wild with his Warriors and scored 54 points against the Atlanta Hawks.
He was 21-of-39 from the field, 10-of-21 from the three, and scored 8 rebounds as well in his 46 minutes.
Following the game, he opened up about his performance:
“Those moments where you have the ball with the game on the line down the stretch and your teammates trust you, those are what you really live for as a competitor.”
For some time, Thompson hasn’t had that trust from his teammates – or the fans – but he gained it back in a big way on Monday.
What’s next for the All-Star player?
Will this be a flash in the pan and will Thompson’s inconsistency return or is this the start of a permanent return to glory for him?
Thompson and the Warriors are playing without Stephen Curry right now, who is out with an injury, so having Thompson shine as he did on Monday helps a lot.
Although the Warriors are still the tenth team in the West, they have now won five games in a row.
So, perhaps it’s not just Thompson who is turning things around and about to have a great few months.
