2025-26 Season
KLAY THOMPSON
2025-26 Season
KLAY THOMPSON
Thompson produces at an below average rate for a 22-minute workload.
About this model: Net Impact can't measure floor spacing, help defense rotations, or playmaking gravity — so wings and guards are slightly undervalued vs bigs. How Net Impact works
TEAM COMPARISON
of 16 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 235 Guards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
A painful demotion to the bench and a brutal, self-inflicted shooting slump defined the opening chapter of Klay Thompson's season. The veteran guard simply refused to adapt his shot selection, settling for contested jumpers that routinely derailed the offense. This stubbornness peaked on 10/29 vs IND, where he posted a disastrous -11.9 impact score as a starter by jacking up heavily guarded perimeter looks early in the shot clock. Even when the ball actually went through the hoop, his one-dimensional play actively hurt the team. During the 11/12 vs PHX matchup, Thompson tallied 19 points but still registered a dismal -8.6 impact because he cratered the offensive flow by forcing an absurd sixteen attempts from deep. He occasionally flashed his vintage value in a reduced role, like on 11/16 vs POR. In that contest, his constant off-ball motion warped the opposing defense to yield a stellar +7.0 impact score, opening up crucial cutting lanes for his teammates.
This stretch of the season was defined by a maddening tug-of-war between vintage perimeter explosions and crippling shooting slumps. Even when his shot occasionally fell, terrible shot selection often plagued his overall effectiveness. Look no further than 01/08 vs UTA, where Thompson poured in 23 points with six triples, yet still posted a -1.5 impact score because his completely one-dimensional performance offered zero secondary value. At his absolute worst, he settled for heavily contested jumpers early in the shot clock, completely tanking the offense with a brutal -13.9 impact score during a 6-point dud on 01/06 vs SAC. However, you simply cannot ignore the sheer panic his off-ball movement still strikes into opposing defenses. During an ugly 9-point shooting night on 01/01 vs PHI, his mere gravitational pull warped the floor enough to generate a +4.0 impact score. The consistency of his prime is long gone, but the ghost of his jumper remains a potent tactical weapon.
A frustrating blend of forced shots and defensive limitations defined Klay Thompson's mid-season stint as a bench gunner. His shot selection hit rock bottom on 01/31 vs HOU, where he settled for heavily contested jumpers that stalled the offense and dragged his impact score down to a brutal -13.6. Time and again, an inability to separate from tight coverage or generate secondary actions short-circuited possessions. He still flashed vintage brilliance, catching fire on 03/05 vs ORL to hit seven triples for 24 points, generating a +4.9 impact by ruthlessly punishing defensive under-reactions. Yet even when the jumper fell flawlessly, hidden costs routinely sabotaged his overall value. On 03/21 vs LAC, Thompson drilled all four of his three-point attempts for 12 points, but glaring defensive liabilities entirely overshadowed his spacing, resulting in a -5.0 impact score. Relying solely on perimeter gravity without off-ball hustle simply cannot sustain winning basketball.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Inconsistent. Thompson has clear good-night/bad-night splits, with scoring swinging ~6 points between games. You're never quite sure which version shows up.
Streaky shooter — only cracks 45% from the field in 29% of games. Efficiency is all over the place night-to-night.
Good defender on his best nights, but it comes and goes. Some games Thompson locks in defensively, others he gets picked apart.
In a rough stretch — 6 straight games with negative impact. Longest cold streak this season: 7 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Based on 68 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
66 games played