stephortless-blog

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Patrick McCaw had 16 points on 5 of 8 shooting, 7 assists, 4 steals, and a block. He was also perfect from the line in the 33 minutes he played in place of Steph Curry. 

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Lol cats Klay as Patrick is perfect, i mean just look at his face, that look is the same as real life!

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Klay Thompson is a Robin in need of a Batman

The Golden State Warriors had won the previous 32 games against the  Sacramento Kings before they lost 110-106 tonight at the Oracle. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were out for the game with minor injuries.

Klay Thompson led all scorers with 21 points on 20 shots but really struggled to find his rhythm the whole game. He’s only had a handful of games throughout his career where he has been the number one scoring option. He may be one of the most lethal scorers in the NBA but he can’t seem to do it without someone to handle the playmaking duties, this is the truth.

Curry and Durant both have the ability to break down the defense and create shots for their teammates purely because of the threat they pose from every spot on the floor. Both are all-NBA shooters, scorers, and ball handlers. Other potential playmakers like Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala can sometimes break down defenses but do not pose as much of a threat that Curry and Durant do, so their opponents do not help as much.

Thompson was inefficient from the floor, shooting 7-20 from the field. In each of the 3 games this season Klay has shot the ball 20 times, he has shot at least 50% from the field... tonight he shot 35%. 

Statistics tell one side of the story but if you watch Thompson play enough, you know he thrives off of the energy and intensity of the game. He is also much more effective when he has someone else to create shots FOR him. He knows what to do when they close out hard on him, as they should, as he frequently takes and makes blow by’s and pump-fake-one-dribble-pull-ups. But when it comes to creating his own shot and shots for others off the dribble, I do not think he is elite. 

Tonight, crunch time, Kings made a huge run to get back in the game. Klay is basically options 1-5 on offense. With 3:08 left in the 4th Klay hit a corner three to put the Warriors up 4. The ensuing Kings possession was a disaster in itself as Omer Casspi fouled Garrett Temple on a three-point attempt and he made the first two shots, missed the third, the Kings got the rebound, and Caulie-Stein finished the possession with a dunk. With just over a minute to go and the score tied, the Warriors had the opportunity to guarantee a 2 for 1 situation and ran a play for Klay, he missed a very highly contested jumper and the ball went out of bounds off a Kings player. 42 sec left. they run another play for Klay all possession and he takes another forced, out of rhythm, contested jumper. The Kings, specifically Bogdan Bogdanovic, ran the clock down and drove on Draymond Green and hung in the air to bank her home. Down 2 with 12 seconds left, once again the Warriors put the ball in Klay’s hands. He took a good shot, for the win, but it didn’t fall. Bogdan was fouled on the rebound and drilled 2 no-doubters to ice the win, the first in the past 33 games for the Kings versus the Warriors.

In a perfect world, we would have loved to see Klay Thompson hit the same clutch shots we see all the time, of course. But in reality, Thompson needs a Batman, someone to serve as the supposed hero while he can be the hero at any moment in time, no matter the difficulty. There is no Robin without Batman. 

In no way, shape, or form am I trying to knock Klay Thompson the player, I am more highlighting the fact that he needs a Batman, because he is most certainly.... a Robin. 

And I don’t really like birds all that much, but I love him.

“seriously tho 60 points in 29 min? you can’t, nah, nah you can’t, man c’mon this boy is SPECIAL!”

“37 in one quarter. these things that he does man... they’re greatness happening right in front our faces mannn!”

No really though Klay is one of my faves. He’s a problem on both ends of the floor for any matchup and he’s a killer, but just not tonight.