How well will Klay Thompson shoot this year, and who will make a leap?
Training camp for the Golden State Warriors is already underway. Not only that, but the team is already in Japan!
So it seemed like a good time for a mailbag. Let’s dive into some questions.
1) how likely is it that load management increases for the vets?
2) this is more of a prediction but do you believe Klay’s 3pt percentage will be above or below his career average of 41.7%? For the record, I believe his shot is going to be all the way back & he’ll go above.
— highldn (@highldn) September 26, 2022
Let’s start with the first question. I think we’ll see a lot of load management for Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. Not only are they all a year older, but they’re coming off of a long season and a short offseason. And they all missed time with injuries a year ago, further solidifying the need for load management.
Plus, after cruising through the Western Conference playoffs despite being the No. 3 seed, I think it’s safe to say that the Warriors won’t be chasing regular season wins. Resting to give the youngsters some more playing time should be a common occurrence.
The question for me is, how much do Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins factor into the load management?
As for the second question, I think it’s about a push. I’m not sure which way I would bet, because I expect Klay to end up right about at that figure. I have zero doubt that his jumper will look normal this year. Plus he might get a gravity bump from playing next to Jordan Poole in the second unit.
So yeah, it’s a push for me, but if I have to choose I’ll say he goes slightly above.
Who is going to jump up with the biggest progress from last year to this year?
— TheNation (@eMDeeeMeS) September 26, 2022
This is a fascinating question that I think could go in a lot of different directions. But the two obvious names to look at are Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Moody is probably the safe choice, but I’m going with Kuminga. I think getting his feet wet last year, and getting a taste for when he can — and crucially, can’t — rely on his athleticism, will lead to a strong season from him.
I think Moody’s progress will look better at the start of the season, but by the end of the year I think Kuminga will be a hugely impactful part of the rotation.
What happened to gui santos? I thought he played pretty well in summer league
— Kenneth Chiu (@KennethChiu3) September 27, 2022
Gui Santos was never going to play this year. He was always a draft-and-stash choice, and has been under contract with a Brazilian team since the draft.
The Warriors retain his rights, so if Santos is ever ready for the NBA, it will be with the Warriors (unless they trade him). It was a good Summer League for him, but the Dubs already have a nearly impossible task of finding developmental playing time for two rookies, two second-year players, and one James Wiseman.
Letting Santos play regular minutes in Brazil, and checking back in on him in a year or three was always the move, and it’s the right move.
What does a good look at Rollins and PBJ look like?
— Scott Robinson (@Scottgas2) September 26, 2022
Let’s work backwards off of Kuminga and Moody’s minutes last year. Kuminga averaged 16.9 minutes per game, and played in most of the team’s games — he had 12 DNPs. Moody averaged 11.7 points per game, and had 30 DNPs.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins should get a bit less playing time than that, since they’re less heralded players, didn’t have Summer League, and are joining a much healthier Warriors team. I would say 6-10 minutes in 40-60 games constitutes as good of a look as we’re going to get, and most of that will come during garbage time.
Still, as Kuminga and moody proved last year, that can be a good enough look to get a feel for someone’s abilities, role, and future development.
Thanks for the questions, everyone!