Klay Thompson addresses being benched in crunch time of Warriors win

For Klay Thomspon, the sobering reality that he's no longer one of the elite players in the league is starting to set in. 

On Monday night, the Warriors defeated the Nets 109-08, a game in which Thompson registered eight points and six rebounds across 30 minutes. Thompson, however, was benched during the last 7:19 of the game in favor of rookie Gui Santos, who provided solid energy for the Dubs on both ends of the floor. 

To Thompson's credit, he's conceded that there are going to be many more nights when coach Steve Kerr calls upon younger and fresher legs in his stead -- especially in closing moments. 

"I feel great physically," Thompson said after the game, via ESPN. "Mentally, probably a little different story. But such is life, huh?

"I've accepted it. I could be mad, but I'm happy for these young guys, honestly. Yeah. We won. And it's hard to get wins in this league."

Kerr first benched Thompson during the fourth quarter during the Warriors' away loss to the Phoenix Suns in December. While it's yet to become a nightly trend, Thompson was similarly benched during the Warriors' win over the Grizzlies last weekend.  

When asked if it's "an adjustment" to go from being a fixture in Warriors' closing lineups for over 10 years to somewhat of an afterthought, Thompson didn't mince words.

"Yeah, you kidding me? [To] go from, you know, one of the best players...it's hard for anybody."