The Golden State Warriors will be looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday when they take on the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center. The Dubs have lost two in a row and are barely holding on to the 10th and Final Play-In spot in the West, so it goes without saying that Tuesday’s showdown will have major implications on the playoff race in the conference.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has decided to shake things up a bit on Tuesday by making a significant Klay Thompson decision right before tip-off.
Klay Thompson Returns to Golden State Warriors’ Starting Lineup
It was revealed less than an hour before the game started that Thompson would be back in the starting lineup. He has taken the place of rookie Brandin Podziemski, who has started in 14 out of his last 16 appearances for Golden State.
This report comes via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews:
Klay Thompson is starting tonight in place of Brandin Podziemski.
He joins Curry, Green, Kuminga and Wiggins
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) March 26, 2024
It does not sound like Podziemski has sustained any sort of injury, so the decision to bring Thompson back as a starter appears to be a tactical one.
The five-time All-Star recently conceded his spot in the starting lineup to his rookie teammate, but this has done little to hinder Thompson’s production. He has come off the bench 14 times in the last 18 games but has still been averaging 18.1 points on 44.3 percent shooting, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Thompson has also knocked down 3.9 triples per game on a highly efficient 41.9 percent clip during this stretch.
At this point, it remains to be seen if Kerr’s decision to bring Thompson back to the first unit is going to be permanent.
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