During the 2012-2013 NBA regular season Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson had a disappointing campaign. He shot just 42.2 percent from the field though he did stretch the defense with his three-point shooting as he hit at 40.1 percent and when he got to the free throw which was rare he shot 84.1 percent.
On the defensive end he showed flashes of brilliance and other times he looked lost picking up ticky-tack fouls. Yet, the main problem for Thompson was his shot selection as he relied mainly on his perimeter shooting. When he did get an inside look he missed many of those and rarely did he ever put the ball on the floor.
He’s averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and has shot 47.9 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent from the free throw line.In the 2013 Playoffs something has changed for Thompson as he’s become more aggressive offensively, has put the ball on the floor though he’s missed some layups, posted up smaller defenders including Ty Lawson and Tony Parker and more importantly is scoring with his mid-range jumper. Defensively he’s played stellar and has made an impact on the glass.
On Wednesday night when Stephen Curry picked up his second foul and exited, Thompson took over the game in the first half helping the Golden State Warriors build a 19 point lead at half time over the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 29 points and made seven three-pointers. The Spurs did a better job defensively on Klay and he only scored five points in the third and was held scoreless in the fourth. His only three of the second half was big as it was a buzzer beater that pushed the lead back up to double digits.
Thompson finished the game with 34 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and a block. With the series tied 1-1 and the Warriors heading home if Thompson continues to shoot well along with Curry there’s a great chance of getting past the Spurs.
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