Heat’s Erik Spoelstra ‘not losing sleep’ over Klay Thompson’s shooting struggles appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
MIAMI – With the Miami Heat in the midst of the first week of the regular season, all eyes are on the newcomers Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson to make an impact early. As Thompson has dealt with shooting woes in the Heat’s preseason, head coach Erik Spoelstra reveals his expectations for the veteran in the regular season.
In Thompson’s three preseason games, he made seven of his 26 shot attempts from the field, or 26.9 percent, but the numbers from three-point range stood out, only making three shots out of 20 from beyond the arc, which comes out to 15 percent. Though it was in roughly 16 minutes per game, there’s no doubt he was trying to find his footing to start his tenure in Miami.
Speaking before the regular season opener on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints that no one “lost any sleep” over Thompson’s start.
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“I don’t think any of us lost any sleep over [it],” Spoelstra said. “If it wasn’t anybody who mentioned what his three-point percentage was, I would never have thought of it. I’m looking at what he’s doing, you know, to our offense when he’s on the court.”
“One way or another, he’s going to help,” Spoelstra continued. “Whichever way you want to put it, the gravity that’s going to make some things really difficult for other teams, and then he’s going to have some avalanche games where he’s able to do what he’s done over the course of his whole game career. Doesn’t have to be every night.”
Asked Erik Spoelstra if tonight will be crucial for Klay Thompson after a underwhelming preseason:
“I don't think any of us lost any sleep over…If it wasn't anybody mentioned what his three-point percentage was, I would never have thought of it…” #Heat
Full response: pic.twitter.com/T98kgYbSv5
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 21, 2026
Heat’s Klay Thompson believes the “shots will fall”
The four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors is one of the NBA’s most decorated three-point shooters, ranking fourth all-time in shots made from deep with 2,899 before Wednesday’s regular-season opener. Just like Spoelstra, Thompson is not worried about the results in the preseason, confident in saying that “the shots will fall.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’ve played this game long enough to know you’re going to have great days; you’re going to have bad days. Just do the work and stay consistent, and I’ll shoot my career averages,” Thompson said after Sunday’s practice, according to The Miami Herald.
Looking at Thompson’s career averages, the 36-year-old is shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range, as he hasn’t reached that in a single season since the 2022-23 season with the Warriors. In his final season with Golden State and the two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson has been either one or two percentage points lower.
“I’ve just played so long,” Thompson said. “You can analyze every season. Every season is different. That’s why preseason is so important, to get your legs under you.”
“Luckily, I have a blank slate when the regular season starts Wednesday, and it doesn’t count,” Thompson continued. “For me, I wasn’t too concerned with how I shot the ball. It was more about my wind, my condition, and playing good defense.”
At any rate, Thompson looks to leave the preseason in the past and start anew in the regular season starting Wednesday against the Timberwolves and continuing into Friday night, facing the Detroit Pistons. To start the regular season opener against Minnesota, Thompson made his first two attempts from three-point range, potentially signaling that the feelings from the veteran and Spoelstra were the right mental approach.
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