Klay Thompson Returns to the Bay: A Christmas Clash of Past and Future
Klay Thompson is back at Chase Center this Christmas-but this isn’t a homecoming built on nostalgia. There won’t be a tribute video playing softly in the background while fans wipe away tears.
This isn’t about memories. It’s about proving something.
Thompson, one of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen, is now averaging just 11.1 points per game on 35.3% shooting from deep. That’s a far cry from the man who once exploded for 37 points in a single quarter, who dropped 60 in under 30 minutes, who hit 14 threes in one night like it was a walk in the park.
Now he’s in Dallas, trying to hold things together on a team that’s missing Luka Doncic (traded) and Kyrie Irving (injured). It’s unfamiliar territory for a player who helped define a dynasty.
But on Christmas, Klay walks back into the building he helped build-this time wearing the opponent’s jersey.
Waiting for him are two young guards, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, who are trying to fill the void left behind when Klay left Golden State. That’s no easy task.
Replacing a legend isn’t about replicating the numbers-it’s about absorbing the lessons, the habits, the instincts that made him great. And right now, both Moody and Podziemski are showing flashes that they’ve been paying attention.
Moses Moody: Learning from a Master
Moody has started to carve out a real role in the Warriors’ rotation. He’s averaging a career-high 24.9 minutes per game, putting up 11.4 points while shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc-also career highs.
But it’s not just the raw numbers that matter. It’s how he’s getting them.
Through 28 games, Moody has taken 152 catch-and-shoot field goals, hitting 40.8% overall and 41.2% from three. When he catches and fires within two seconds, he’s still at 40.1% from deep.
That’s textbook Warriors basketball-quick decisions, off-ball movement, and trust in the system. It’s the kind of rhythm shooting that defined Klay’s game for over a decade.
Moody isn’t just mimicking the form-he’s channeling the mindset. He doesn’t need space, he needs timing.
When the defense closes out and he’s forced to react, that’s when the thousands of reps and the film study kick in. That’s when the Klay DNA shows up.
And on the other end, Moody’s taking on the toughest guard matchups, just like Klay used to, giving Steph Curry the breathing room he needs to work his magic on offense.
Brandin Podziemski: Forging His Own Identity
While Moody is echoing Klay’s game, Podziemski is finding his own lane-one built on feel, pace, and a little bit of grit.
After starting the season in the first unit, Podziemski was moved to the bench. It wasn’t punishment-it was a realignment.
As a starter, he tried to do too much, and the team’s flow suffered. But off the bench, he’s found a rhythm.
In a recent game against Orlando, he played 27 minutes and 30 seconds, scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, dished out five assists, and finished with a plus-36. That’s not just a good game-that’s impact.
What made that performance stand out wasn’t just the box score. It was how he played.
He attacked the middle of the floor, collapsed the defense, and made quick decisions in traffic. When he’s aggressive-touching the paint, creating chaos-everything else opens up.
The ball moves, the offense hums, and suddenly he’s not just another guard on the perimeter-he’s the connective tissue holding the unit together.
And defensively? Podz is already building a reputation.
Drawing charges has become a staple of his game. As a rookie, he led the league with 41.
In his second year, he tallied 34 more. This season, he’s already drawn 14, ranking in the top 15 league-wide.
At 6-foot-4, he’s using anticipation and fearlessness to make up for what he lacks in size. That’s the kind of defensive commitment that earns trust in the Warriors’ system-and it’s the kind of thing Klay would appreciate.
Warriors, Mavericks, and the Weight of the Breakup
Golden State sits at 15-15. Dallas is 12-19.
Neither side is exactly thriving post-breakup. The Warriors are still trying to convince themselves that their “Two Timeline” strategy wasn’t just a way to justify letting a four-time champion walk.
The Mavericks are trying to stay competitive without their stars. No one’s winning this separation-at least not yet.
That’s what makes this Christmas Day matchup so compelling. It’s not just a game-it’s a mirror.
What could Klay have been if he’d stayed? What can Moody and Podziemski become if they continue to grow?
There are no easy answers. Klay gave 13 years to Golden State.
He learned how to thrive next to the greatest shooter ever, when to defer, when to strike, how to move without the ball, and how to punish defenses for even a moment of hesitation. He tore his ACL in the Finals.
Tore his Achilles while rehabbing. And still came back to help win another title.
That kind of resilience doesn’t show up on stat sheets, but it’s written all over the banners hanging in the rafters.
Now, in Dallas, he’s averaging career-lows. Meanwhile, the young guys back in San Francisco are trying to prove they understood the lessons Klay didn’t even know he was teaching.
Podziemski’s journey has been bumpier. The early-season benching forced him to rediscover what makes him effective.
For him, getting into the paint isn’t optional-it’s essential. When he’s touching the lane two or three times a game, everything else flows.
When he’s not, he fades into the background.
The Meaning of a Christmas Return
Christmas basketball always means a little more. The national spotlight.
The family gatherings paused. The sense that this game, this moment, is bigger than the standings.
Klay Thompson returning to Chase Center in a different jersey feels like all of that compressed into one night. The kids he helped mentor will try to show him they’ve been listening.
The franchise that let him go will try to show it was the right call. And Klay?
He’ll try to show that there’s still something left in the tank-that he’s still that guy, even if the numbers say otherwise.
Maybe that’s enough. Maybe watching the next generation carry forward the things you helped build is its own kind of validation.
Even when it stings.