Charles Barkley: Klay Thompson ’Not the Same Guy’ After Injuries

The Warriors suffered a major setback on Tuesday night, falling to the Suns 134–105. Among the most notable moments from that blowout loss was the first career NBA ejection for Klay Thompson, which stemmed from a brush-up with Phoenix star Devin Booker.

Thompson picked up a pair of quick technical fouls, the first for the start of the argument and the second as he continued to jaw with Booker, eventually turning his ire to referee Ed Malloy, who hit him with his second technical and the ejection. Thompson continued to chirp the Suns' bench on his way out.

Coach Steve Kerr said after the game that he believes the outburst had a lot to do with Thompson’s frustrations with his minutes restriction, stemming from his ongoing recovery from the significant injuries that cost him two full seasons from 2019 to ’21. Thompson has struggled to begin the 2022–23 season, averaging a career-low 11 points and shooting 28.6% from three-point range. In 19 minutes on Tuesday, Thompson had just two points on 1-of-8 shooting and was 0-for-5 from three.

“There was a time when Klay Thompson was the best two-way guard in the NBA, and he’s not the same guy,” TNT’s Charles Barkley said after the game, a potential cold dose of reality on the situation Thompson finds himself in. “And that’s because of injuries. Now, is he done? No, I don’t think he’s done. I think he’s slowing down and it’s catching up with him. That’s why he’s frustrated.”

Barkley added that Draymond Green is also slowing down at this point in his career, putting even more onus on 2022 NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and the team’s young, big-money players like Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. 

At his peak, Thompson might have been the NBA’s top catch-and-shoot threat and was a lockdown perimeter defender. He is a five-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA third-team selection and an All-Defensive second-team honoree in 2019.

He suffered a torn ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals, which the Warriors lost to the Kawhi Leonard-led Raptors, an injury that cost him the entire 2019–20 season. In the fall of ’20, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a pickup game, an injury that he didn’t return from until January ’22.

He played a major role in a fourth NBA title for the Warriors earlier this year, but time will tell if Thompson can be a key cog in a fifth championship for the franchise.

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