Klay Thompson's Benching Only Serves to Underscore Steph Curry's Greatness

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have proven to be quite the dynamic duo, with the two Golden State Warriors guards changing basketball. Not only did they prove that three-point shooting was a viable tactic to succeed at the top level, but they helped create a modern dynasty. Curry and Thompson won four NBA titles together, and it's impossible to tell the story of today's Association without them.

Time (and pro sports) wait for no man, though, and the current season is proof of that reality. The Warriors are admittedly in the midst of a hot streak, but the squad simply seems past its expiration date. Thompson in particular has regressed this season and, on Thursday night, the previously unthinkable happened: he was removed from the starting lineup, despite having a clean bill of health.

And while that personnel decision has become a story itself, it also serves to highlight another truth of the modern NBA. Curry, like it or not, is truly elite.

Let's break things down.

Thompson Finally Slipped Out of the Starting 5

At the risk of making them sound shallow, many professional athletes are motivated by pride. After Thursday night, it might be safe to conclude that Thompson is one of them.

When the Warriors took the floor against the Utah Jazz, the veteran guard wasn't in the starting lineup. Instead, he found himself starting on the bench for the first time since his rookie year.

According to an ESPN News Services write-up, head coach Steve Kerr told his guard of the change on Thursday morning; as you might expect, Thompson wasn't overly happy to hear about the decision.

"It's been a tricky season for him and for us," Kerr explained. "It's not as easy to do what Klay did five or six years ago for him. I think this could be a good balance to get the best out of Klay and to get the best out of our team."

And while it might sound unimaginable to bench Thompson, the guard has struggled by his lofty standards this season. He's averaging 17.3 points per outing, the lowest since his second season in the league. His three-point accuracy has also slumped to 37.2 percent, a new low. For context, Thompson shot 38.5 percent from downtown during the 2021-22 campaign, when he returned from two consecutive seasons on the sidelines. Other than that 32-game stretch, he never shot below 40 percent from behind the three-point arc across an entire professional season.

On a game-by-game level, the guard has also posted unimaginable stat lines. Did you ever think, for example, that you'd see Thompson score eight points in nearly 30 minutes of action against the Brooklyn Nets? What about five points against the Phoenix Suns on a 2-of-10 shooting night?

Add some shocking decisions, like intentionally fouling the Clippers while attempting to mount a late-game comeback, and the benching doesn't seem out of the blue.

But if the move dented Thompson's pride, he responded in the best way possible. On Thursday night, he exploded for a season-high 35 points to help the Warriors enter the All-Star break on a high note.

"You can do two things: You can pout or you can go out there and respond," he explained. "I thought I did the latter very well tonight."

Thompson Highlights Curry's Incredible Consistency

Thompson's tough season and benching aren't signs of some great moral failing. The guard is now 34 years old. He had two serious injuries and has played more than 700 games in his career; a slowdown was inevitable.

But with that being said, his season makes Curry look that much more special.

Consider, for a moment, Curry's incredible consistency. Not only did he enter the league before his fellow Splash Brother, but Curry hasn't missed as much time through injury. He's currently sitting on 931 NBA games to Thompson's 766.

Despite that reality, he's kept on rolling. The Davidson product is averaging 28.3 points this season, the fourth-highest mark of his career. His .423 three-point percentage is a bit on the lower side, but it should be noted that he's attempting the second-most long-range shots of his time with the Warriors.

But, on the whole, Curry is who he's always been. He's an ace marksman and a capable scorer, no matter what's going on around him. And while consistency isn't always exciting, it's impressive in this case.

Consider how the Warriors have changed over the years. Draymond Green has missed time serving a suspension and isn't as dominant as he was during his Defensive Player of the Year days. Thompson, meanwhile, missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before declining this year.

And specifically looking at this season's roster, that quieter version of Thompson is still the Warriors' second option. Curry is leading the way in terms of per-game scoring; Thompson sits second at 17.3 points per outing, and only two other players (Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins at 15.5 and 12.5 points per game, respectively) are averaging double-digits.

If your definition of greatness is being able to thrive despite everyone knowing exactly what you want to do, then Curry is clearing that bar. His three-point shooting is no longer a surprise, and it's clear that he's Golden State's top option, but the points keep piling up.

And while things have quieted down a bit in recent years, remember that Curry hasn't always been viewed as an elite talent. In June 2019, for example, Brando Simeo Starkey of Andscape wrote an article headlined, "Why is Steph Curry still dissed so much? He doesn't fit the stereotype of NBA greatness." Later that year, Michael Jordan made headlines of his own by declining to add Curry to his all-time roster.

Again, things have shifted since then. We've recently seen Shaquille O'Neal wondering if Curry should be in the overall GOAT [greatest of all time] conversation. Stephen A. Smith also read a text message that he claimed was from Jordan, which said that Magic Johnson was the greatest point guard while Curry was "very close" to the Lakers legend and "by far the best shooter."

The juxtaposition between Thompson and Curry only serves to underscore that status. To be clear, Thompson is a quality player who played a massive role in the Warriors' surge to the top of the NBA world, but even he is starting to slow down. Curry, however, is still going strong in adverse circumstances.

Everyone has different ways to define all-time greatness. Some lean on championship rings, while others prefer to look at overall impact on the sport. But, across the board, there's usually some focus on consistency. It's one thing to explode for a single season, but it takes true talent to dominate for an extended period of time, rolling with the punches and continuing to perform.

Say what you will about Curry, but he's continuing to do just that. Add four championship rings, the rest of his individual honors and the way he's changed basketball into the mix, and that's a resume you can compare to just about anyone's.