Klay Thompson has heard plenty of questions about whether his best basketball is behind him, but his father Mychal Thompson has a simple response for anyone who believes the five-time All-Star is washed.
Stop guarding him.
Klay is heading to the Miami Heat after spending the past two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, and while his numbers have dipped from his peak Golden State years, Mychal believes opposing teams still treat his son like one of the league’s most dangerous shooters.
“If people don’t think Klay can be Klay anymore, leave him open,” Mychal said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Don’t guard him. Don’t face guard him. I see people still bear-hugging him and not leaving him open for a second. So if he’s not Klay anymore, leave him open and give him open shots. Let’s see what happens.”
The argument comes after Klay shot a career-low 38.3 percent from three last season while averaging 2.9 made threes per game, his lowest mark since the 2013-14 campaign.
He still knocked down 202 three-pointers and remains one of the most accomplished shooters in NBA history. Thompson sits fourth on the league’s all-time three-point list and is 75 makes away from passing Ray Allen for third.
Not everyone is convinced Miami will get the old Klay back.
Former NBA forward Al Harrington recently questioned how much Thompson has left after watching his two seasons in Dallas.
“I’m a what have you done for me lately kind of guy,” Harrington said on the To the Baha podcast. “With that being said, with Klay, watching him the last two years here in Dallas, it seems like he’s fallen off a lot.”
Thompson’s situation in Miami will look significantly different.
Instead of landing with a team entering a rebuild, he’ll join a Heat roster built around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo with Erik Spoelstra on the sideline.
Mychal may not have gotten his wish of seeing Klay finish his career with the Lakers, but he’s clearly convinced his son still has enough left to punish anyone willing to test him.
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