Klay Thompson’s long-awaited return to the practice facility provides an opportunity for the young members of the Golden State Warriors core.
After he missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals, Golden State’s voluntary offseason minicamp is the first chance for the Warriors’ new arrivals to work with Thompson at practice.
Since the last time Thompson laced up for a Golden State practice, there’s been an influx of young players at the wing position. Since the start of 2019, Jordan Poole, Ky Bowman and Mychal Mulder have all landed in the Bay Area.
In a post-practice interview with members of the media, Mulder called it a “blessing” to work with Thompson at minicamp. During practice, the Kentucky product said he’s trying to match up with Thompson as much as he can.
Mulder via Warriors SoundCloud:
Anytime I get the opportunity, really. Because, as you know, Klay [Thompson] wasn’t playing when I first got here. Now that we got Klay back on the floor, I try to match up with him as much as I can. Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for me and everyone else — just to really sponge off his knowledge of the game and his leadership. So, obviously, anytime I get the chance to be on the floor with him and really get to guard him and he guards me, that’s obviously a blessing in itself — something that makes us all a lot better.
Although he only played seven games with the Warriors, Mulder impressed in his short stint in the Bay Area. The 26-year-old averaged 11.0 points on 38.8% shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 29.1 minutes per game. The G League veteran marked double-figures in scoring in four of his seven contests with the Warriors.
The voluntary minicamp will serve as an opportunity for Mulder to lay the foundation for his bid to make the Warriors set roster before the start of the 2020-21 season.
[lawrence-related id=31528,25832,31479,25191]
[vertical-gallery id=30708]