Klay Thompson got off to s strong start to open the Golden State Warriors‘ NBA Playoffs second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. In particular, Klay dropped 30 points in Game 2 to lead the Dubs to a crucial win to tie up the series at 1-1 at that point. However, it’s as if Thompson has been MIA in the past three games. Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick has a compelling theory about Klay’s struggles against the Lakers, and he believes it has a lot to do with Stephen Curry.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Redick talked about how Golden State’s tactics on the offensive end may have had a significant impact on Thompson’s lack of effectiveness of late. Redick believes that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s decision to focus on Curry’s pick-and-roll action has been integral to Thompson’s downturn:
“He has probably been hurt more than anyone by the Warriors’ decision to go to primarily pick-and-roll offense when Steph’s on the floor, in particular,” Redick said. “… One thing Klay gets a lot is layups. He’s such a good cutter. If you’re getting one or two layups a half, it just alleviates some of that stress from the quick catch-and-shoots.
“… You get a couple of easy ones, [the other shots] get easier. You’re not as tight. … There’s just something missing, and I think some of it is that he’s not getting those easy one or two layups.”
“He [Klay Thompson] has probably been hurt more than anyone by the Warriors decision to go to the pick-and-roll offense when Steph [Curry] is on the floor.”
JJ Redick explains how Klay’s production has been limited this series.
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After averaging 27.5 points in the first two games of the series, Thompson has been a bit of a non-factor in Games 3 through 5, putting up just 11.3 points on 29.7 percent shooting. He’s still knocking down 2.7 triples per game, though, but he’s doing so on a 33.3-percent clip.
The numbers only help solidify Redick’s argument here. The fact that the Warriors have relied so heavily on Curry in the pick-and-roll has prevented Thompson from getting those easy layups. As a result, JJ believes that this has had a direct impact on Klay’s efficiency from beyond the arc. Whether or not this becomes a key factor in the Warriors’ do-or-die Game 6 matchup on Friday now remains to be seen.
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