The Golden State Warriors went head-to-head with the Utah Jazz tonight and prior to the tip-off, there was a shocking revelation. Coach Kerr had decided to leave Klay Thompson out of the starting five. Although he was benched during the closing, this is the first in 12 years that Thompson is not a starter.

But Klay had revealed that he was open to reduced roles in the future. That could have been the motivation behind tonight’s decision. But the 4x champion has come back with a vengeance as he finished with 35 points off the bench! That was enough for fans to go crazy over the Splash Brother.

Bringing back memories from 2022, Stephen Curry‘s then 4-year-old son, Canon Curry, was seen openly admiring Klay after a game. And this user below quotes Steph Jr., when he said, “Hello Klay Thompson!”

Another user paid tribute to Klay’s past years as he said, “Klay Thompson rolled backed the years as he led all scorers with 35pts.”

Yet another fan seemed to think the world of Klay as he appreciated his shooting prowess while making a lofty claim. “there’s never been a better shooter when HOT than Klay Thompson. Not even Curry.”

This user seemed to be relieved that Thompson was back to his old self. He pleads to continue playing him off the bench.

Finally, Perez brought back fond memories of the iconic ‘Game 6 Klay’ nickname.

The origin of this can be traced back to the iconic 2016 Western Conference Finals. The Dubs were down 3-1 in the series and with their season on the line, Thompson carried the brunt of the responsibility as he erupted for 41 points and hit 11 three-pointers. GSW went ahead and defeated the OKC in Game 7 as they moved to the Finals. It was the 10th time in NBA history a team overcame a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs.

Well, this was truly a comeback in every sense of the word. But will this be a permanent position?

Is Klay Thompson going to come off the bench going forward?

There are enough reasons for this to be the new normal for the 5x All-Star. Tonight’s performance in itself is one reason. The fact that the Warriors’ sharpshooter came off the bench and dropped a season-high 35 points cannot be easily dismissed.

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Secondly, Kerr has decided to close the game with younger Warriors solely because that group plays well. And he is more than open to continuing that trend. And it is not easy to forget how lost Klay looked last night against the Clippers. What could have easily been a favorable moment turned into a major blunder as Thompson unnecessarily fouled Russell Westbrook.

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Russ easily converted two free throws, and it took everything in Kerr to not completely lose it. Even without considering this, players like Jonathan Kuminga‘s rapid evolution on the court has led to reduced minutes for veterans like Kevon Looney and Thompson.

So, tonight would have happened sooner or later. After all, Thompson’s ultimate goal was to play with his band of Warriors. And if that means he has to come off the bench, then so be it. And if that can ensure numbers like tonight, that’s a heavy bonus! Wouldn’t you agree?

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