Warriors HC Steve Kerr has honest statement about losing franchise cornerstone Klay Thompson

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows that Klay Thompson is no longer on his team. But he doesn't think it'll become real until opening night.

Kerr told reporter Kerith Burke that, "It won't sink in that Klay is not here until probably the first game when we go out there without him."

Thompson left for the Dallas Mavericks this summer after 13 years with the Warriors, 10 of them with Kerr as his head coach. He won four titles with Kerr and the Warriors, but left after an unhappy season where he briefly lost his starting spot.

"There were so many little Klayisms, nuances in pregame meetings and walkthroughs," Kerr said. "The humor that he brought, the joy. It's going to be weird without him."

Thompson was known for his clutch shooting and tenacious defense in his glory years with Golden State, but also for his quirkiness. He had a habit of jumping into San Francisco Bay on the days when the Warriors had big games, and he once sparked a run of 31 wins in 33 games after he signed a toaster for a fan.

So far in the preseason, the Warriors may have missed Thompson's presence, but it hasn't stopped them from lighting it up on the court. In Wednesday night's preseason win over the Sacramento Kings, the Warriors sank 28 threes. Notably, new acquisitions Buddy Hield and De'Anthony Melton combined to shoot a Thompson-esque 10-of-16 from deep.

Thompson was no slouch himself, shooting 3-of-5 on three-pointers and scoring 10 points in 18 minutes in his first game for the Mavericks.

Thompson's absence might sink in on opening night for Kerr, but it will certainly be top of mind when the Mavericks play the Warriors for the first time this season on Nov. 12. Kerr said that Thompson and Steph Curry are both "killers," so he expects a big effort from his former player in that game. And a lot of shots.

"I was going to say that I think Klay is going to shoot every time," Kerr said. "But that wouldn’t be a change from when he was here."