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Klay Thompson arrived in Miami as a solution to the Heat’s inside-heavy squad. The five-time All-Star is regarded as one of the best shooters in league history and was expected to capitalize on the dominant frontcourt pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Klay Thompson arrived in Miami as a solution to the Heat’s inside-heavy squad. The five-time All-Star is regarded as one of the best shooters in league history and was expected to capitalize on the dominant frontcourt pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
However, his preseason performance has told a different story. The five-time All-Star struggled to make a mark in a Heat jersey before the start of the regular season.
Thompson went through one of the worst scoring nights of his career in his fourth preseason game as a Miami Heat player on Friday. He finished with 0 points, one rebound and three assists on 0-for-7 shooting.
Following the Heat’s 136-115 loss to the Orlando Magic, Bricks Center shared a highlight reel of Thompson’s misses from the game on X. One fan criticized the five-time All-Star’s shortcomings:
“Can’t dribble, can’t defend, can’t even catch and shoot, bro is a walking brick. Everything else is cope and seething.”
Heat fan and TikTok creator Elijah sympathized with Thompson, writing, “All of these shots just rim out; every good shooter, or at least people who actually play the game of basketball, know this happens to the best of em.”
Another fan trolled the Heat player, writing, “Bro’s post-injury regression is one for the books.”
Mavericks fan account, MFFL, expressed disappointment in the former Mavs player, writing, “Ooof.”
Warriors fan, The Sage, slammed Thompson’s supporters, quipping, “I’ve been on here trying to be honest about Klay for a while, but I get it, Warriors dynasty nostalgia won’t let some of y’all.”
“From Half Court” podcast host Sean Murphy urged the Heat to choose Tim Hardaway Jr. over the five-time All-Star. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tim Hardaway Jr. is going to give the Heat the level of production that casual Heat fans expected from Klay. Thompson unfortunately might be on his last legs,” he tweeted.
Last season, Thompson averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 39.3% shooting as a bench option for the Mavs. He started in only eight of 69 games and averaged 21.7 minutes on the floor.
The five-time All-Star joined the Heat in August after the Mavericks bought him out of the final year of his contract. The Heat welcomed Thompson into their ranks with open arms, but they might have to reconsider their options if he continues his shooting slump heading into the new season.