Klay Thompson made just 3 of 20 three-pointers in exhibition play, but the Miami Heat guard says the slump doesn’t worry him.
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Speaking after Sunday’s practice at Kaseya Center, Thompson said he is putting those misses behind him, as reported by the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman.
“The regular season starts Wednesday, and (preseason) doesn’t count,” he said.
Thompson shot 7 of 26 overall in four exhibition appearances, and the Heat finished 3-2. According to the report, he did not play into the second half in those games, so the sample is small. Miami opens the regular season Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thompson said his focus in October was on his conditioning and defense.
“I wasn’t too concerned with how I shot the ball,” he said.
He also brushed off any suggestion of a pattern. Some of his earlier seasons started slowly, Thompson noted, while in others he shot in the mid-40s from three on high volume.
“Every season’s different,” he said.
In his view, exhibition games exist to learn where he is most efficient in a new system.
His career numbers support that view. Heading into his 16th (14th active) season, Thompson ranks fourth all-time in made threes, and his monthly splits show October as his lowest mark at .346. That climbs to .398 in November and .400 in December, then peaks at .429 in January. He has shot .406 from deep before the All-Star break and .414 after it.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said he is encouraged by what Thompson provides beyond shooting, including the attention defenders give him. Miami found Thompson some good looks in the last couple of games, Spoelstra added, and he “will be just fine.”
The picture is also incomplete for Miami as a whole. Bam Adebayo appeared in only two of the Heat’s five exhibitions, another reason the preseason sample says little about how the offense will look once the games count.
Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway sees the question as one of fit as much as form. Speaking on The Crossover podcast, which he co-hosts with Lindsey Hunter, he said the team is still working out how to use its new shooter. “They still got to figure out Klay,” Hardaway said.
Hardaway suggested new players need around 25 games to find their rhythm, and that the Heat should set more screens to free Thompson, something he said Miami has moved away from. He also warned against parking Thompson in the corner for spot-up attempts, which he said the Dallas Mavericks did under Jason Kidd over the previous two seasons. Hardaway expects Spoelstra, who coached Ray Allen in Miami, to find the right fit.
Hardaway’s 25-game estimate gives Miami a window to work out how best to use Thompson, particularly through screens that create cleaner looks from beyond the arc. His career shooting splits offer reason for patience, but the bigger question is how quickly Thompson and the Heat can find an offensive rhythm together.