After 941 days away from the NBA, Klay Thompson expected to experience some ups and downs on his road back to the top with the Warriors. There would be rust, of course. How could there not be?
In the two weeks since his Jan. 9 return, Thompson has had good games, OK games, and a dud or two. All of that was expected. But Steve Kerr and the Warriors elected to make a change to Thompson's rotation minutes for Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, and it's something that will be good for Thompson both in the short and long term.
The Warriors had been playing Thompson the first six minutes of each half and then leaving him on the stationary bike for a quarter and then bringing him back for the closing six of each half. On Tuesday, the Warriors played Thompson the first six minutes of the first and second quarter, decreasing his downtime.
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“We’re just trying to avoid having him not play for 45 minutes (straight) of actual time,” Kerr said after the Warriors' 130-92 walloping of the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center.
With Thompson's minutes bumped up to 25, the Warriors' plan going forward will be to play him the first six minutes of the first and second quarter. In the second half, they will play him in three shorter stints so he can stay on his minutes restriction but also be part of the starting and closing lineups.
Thompson saw the benefits during the first night of the new rotation.
"Yeah absolutely," Thompson said when asked if he felt better getting back in the game quicker. "Especially at my age and what I've been through, it felt good to start the second and I was loose and I was active. I was nice, and hopefully, we can learn from it."
Golden State Warriors
Perhaps it's no surprise that Thompson quietly delivered his best game since his return Tuesday. The five-time All-Star scored 15 points on six-for-12 shooting while also dishing out six assists.
“Klay just playing a Klay Thompson game,” Kerr said. “Just clean, moving the ball, taking the open shots, not forcing anything, making a couple of great moves to the basket, but then, moving the ball on. I thought everybody really did a good job of just, spacing the floor and moving it on to the next guy."
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That rotation will give Thompson more time with the second unit, a group he is expected to be a regular with once the minutes restriction is lifted. It also could help the star shooting guard get back to his peak quicker. If Thompson is more comfortable in this new rotation it could help him shed the rust, rediscover his consistency and regain his NBA legs. If it benefits Thompson's road back to his peak then the Warriors should not deviate from the plan.
For Thompson, after spending more than two years away from an NBA court, he is soaking up any and all minutes he gets.
"I just try to make the most of the minutes right now," Thompson told TNT in his postgame on-court interview. "I am just grateful to be out here. I thought I was in a great rhythm tonight. I'm going to build off this and have an even better game on Thursday."
The Warriors' new rotation plan gave him a boost during its trial run. It has Thompson's stamp of approval going forward and could be what the star needs to find the rhythm he has been searching for after 941 days away.