Klay Thompson's return to the NBA wasn't always smooth this season. There were low points, struggles, and moments when it was clear the Warriors star was pressing, searching for the All-Star form he enjoyed before a torn ACL started a 941-day climb back to the NBA.
Steve Kerr allowed Thompson to find his own path back. Finally, as the regular season wound down, Thompson found himself. Over his final six games, Thompson averaged 30.8 points per game with shooting splits of 48.0/45.0/87.5. That hot shooting has extended to the Warriors' first-round series with the Denver Nuggets.
After scoring 32 points with just four dribbles Sunday in the Warriors' Game 4 loss, Thompson is averaging 24.5 points per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs. He leads the postseason in triples after a little over a week of play but has bigger goals than that.
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"It has been really awesome," Thompson told reporters Tuesday when asked about seeing the fruits of his labor. "But I'm not satisfied. That's cool to lead the playoffs in threes, but I would rather lead The Finals in threes. Still got a long way to go to get to that point. Still got a really, really, really big opportunity tomorrow. I'm not satisfied with four good games of shooting. I want to do it for the whole playoffs.
"Just thinking back to where I was a year ago, it is incredible. I can't even lie."
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Jordan Poole's tremendous play in the first three games against the Nuggets got most of the headlines, but Thompson's return to near-elite form has been a big development for the Warriors' title hopes.
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While Thompson's defense remains a work in progress, he looks every bit the transcendent scorer that was last seen lighting up the Toronto Raptors as the Warriors desperately tried to stave off elimination and keep their dynasty from fading.
Now back to his old ways, Thompson has his sights set on a return to that championship stage. But he knows that the Warriors must first dispose of the Nuggets on Wednesday in Game 5.