Discuss the review | "Substitute Soup" is coming! Encouraged by the legend, he is full of confidence and accepts the role calmly

The Warriors beat the Wizards 123-112 on the road, with Klay Thompson coming off the bench to score 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting in 27 minutes and hit five more three-pointers. Since Klay Thompson started off the bench, the Warriors have a 4-1 record. During this period, although Thompson also had a slump in performance, on the whole, his output and efficiency improved.

How good is the "substitute soup"?

In the last game before the All-Star break, before the Warriors and Jazz matchup, Kerr suddenly changed the lineup and moved Thompson to the bench.

Kerr's move to Thompson to the bench was also helpless, because Thompson's performance as a starter was really unsatisfactory, and he had dragged down the team. In the game against the Clippers, he only made 4 of 14 shots, including 1 of 9 three-point shots, which can be called an undercover agent.

Thompson accepted his new role and he didn't see it as a relegation, Thompson revealed: "I talked to Kerr in the morning about me playing as a substitute, it's not the role that matters, it's that I can still get a lot of playing time, so when you think about playing as a substitute, you have to let go of your pride. It reminds me of Manu Ginobili, who spent most of his career on the bench and who won four championships and an Olympic gold medal. ”

In his first game off the bench, Thompson played 27 minutes and scored 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including 7-of-13 three-point shooting, plus six rebounds and two assists.

After returning from the All-Star break, Thompson played the Lakers in the first game, and Thompson did not perform well and shot only 1 of 9. But in the next three games, Thompson came off the bench to score 13 points on 11 shots, 23 points on 15 shots, and 25 points on 16 shots.

The data shows that in the five games that Thompson played as a substitute, he averaged nearly 20 points per game, his true shooting percentage skyrocketed from 55.4% to more than 62%, and his plus/minus value on the court also changed from negative to positive. With just a different role, Thompson went from being an undercover agent to a player who could make a positive contribution.

Encouragement from a legendary footballer

During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, at the annual Tech Summit, legendary star Larry Bird spoke, and he mentioned Thompson, giving him extremely high marks.

"Thompson has always been one of my favorite players, and what an incredible shooter he is!" Bird said.

Bird referred to Thompson's 60-point performance in the third quarter against the Pacers on Dec. 5, 2016, when Thompson dribbled just 11 times in the game. Bird exclaimed, "How is that possible, how did he do it?" I really can't believe it. ”

Growing up in Los Angeles, Thompson heard stories of rivalry between Bird's Celtics and Lakers. After seeing Bird's praise for himself in the video, Thompson was inspired.

"It means a lot to me to hear Bird compliment me, and I'll keep this video forever," Thompson said.

"This video is on my phone and I'm going to put the compliment Bird gave me in the same category as Kobe Bryant praising me and Curry as great players with killer instincts (2016). It means the whole world to me. ”

Accept the role of a substitute

For Thompson, his biggest problem has always been mentality. When he can calmly accept the role of substitute and accept the reality that he has declined, he can play a stable and efficient performance.

"I'm doing well," Thompson said. "Still being able to play, having fun, staying fit is better than any major shooting night or 180 club milestone. ”

"It took me a long time to realise it, but once I finally realized, my game was much better. I became more relaxed and realized, 'Oh my gosh, this is such a great opportunity for me.'" ’ ”

Thompson's turnaround was also acknowledged by his team-mates, with Looney saying: "I think he's handled it really well, and I wasn't sure how he'd handle it, especially in the middle of the season. It's not like [he's] talking [with the coach] in training camp where you can get ready for something like that. It was a mid-season decision, so I don't know how he handled it.

"But he's not just great. He didn't complain. He was frustrated at the start of the season, but now he's a great team-mate, a great leader. When your Hall of Fame players show this kind of leadership, everyone must emulate. No one gets mad at their role or the minutes they get on the court. ”