As the Warriors hold a 7-8 record this 2023/24 NBA scampaign, we can’t really say they’ve had a great season so far. Even though there’s been moments of brilliance, Golden State has mostly struggled. However, newcomer Chris Paul is enjoying his time so far in California and compared playing for the four-time champions with being an NFL quarterback alongside “elite receivers.”
“For me, if you think about Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, them type quarterbacks who got these elite receivers, for me it’s so fun bringing the ball up the court knowing you got Klay, you got Steph,” said the point guard. “You know what I mean? Some of the passes I’m throwing to them, you’re throwing it before they even get there. You know and they catch it and they shoot it, and they still make it.”
After their last victory against the Houston Rockets on Monday, Klay Thompson went out of his way to explain how Paul played a key role in him recording his season-best performance. The five-time All-Star believes that the 38-year-old’s assistance is helping him overcome his shooting woes.
CHRIS PAUL: “If you think about Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, those type of quarterbacks who got these elite receivers.. for me you got Klay, you got Steph…” pic.twitter.com/7jc6ZPNHb6
— KNBR (@KNBR) November 21, 2023
“It was very helpful. I mean, anytime Chris Paul speaks, you must listen. The man’s been through it all,” he said. “I actually watched the Redeem Team documentary last night. It was cool to see a young Chris getting kind of rookie-hazed by his teammates and for him to still be here just balling, it’s insane.”
Klay admits he’s drawn inspiration from his former rival throughout the years. “It makes me respect him so much. Anytime he speaks and he sees something out there, we must apply it because he is a basketball savant,” he expressed.
There’s been a lot of talk around Thompson entering this season, as he’s had a rough start so far. His poor form comes at a inconvenient time, as he’s looking to sign a new contract before he hits free agency next year.
The shooting guard is currently averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, while dropping 40% from the field and 33% from range. These percentages are his least efficient shots ever since his rookie year in the NBA.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith questions Klay Thompson’s form: ‘You’re not who you used to be’
When addressing Thompson’s effectiveness, Stephen A. Smith even proposed a potential solution for the Warriors guard, as both him and Andrew Wiggins have been struggling while Stephen Curry is carrying the team game after game.
On his own The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN analyst reckons that Klay is no longer the athlete he used to be and pinned it to all the injuries he’s endured throughout the years, especially 2019 and 2020.
“You’re talking about one of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen struggling,” he said of Thompson. “Not just to make shots, but to get shots off. He is not getting shots off with the level of regularity he once did so what does that mean that mean?
“You can’t get your own shot. That means you can’t create enough space. That means defenders are figuring out how to defend you or you have shrunk. You have diminished. You’re not who you used to be.”
