“It hurt hearing that because I put so much freakin’ effort getting back to this point. It’s hard to even put into words what I had to do to be the player I am today.”
A balance between his fierce competitive fire and the minutes restrictions that hold him back. A balance between his outward zen and the frustration he feels when his ego is tested. He’s still finding his footing on the court, too. He’s getting the right lift under his legs when he dances into his textbook shooting form even if those shots are falling short.
The truth lies somewhere between. Unsurprisingly, Thompson hasn’t been scoring or defending like his pre-injured self; he is shooting below 40% from 3 for the first time in his career since his January return last season. He was shooting 28% from 3 heading into Thursday’s game. Some of those 3s came with Curry seeking him out. After 12 years together, Curry has a knack of knowing when to start feeding Thompson. Including a pair of back-to-back Thompson 3 pointers on Curry assists to open the second half.Thompson usually starts seasons in shooting slumps, he noted. It’s true. He’s shot well below 40% in five of his last six Octobers. It’s never stopped him from shooting, and it’s always paid off.