Klay Thompson - Off Ball Movement 16/17 Part 1

Klay Thompson. 2x NBA Champion. 3x NBA All-Star. 2x All-NBA Third Teamer. 2x USA Basketball Gold Medalist (2016 Rio Olympics and the 2014 Spain World Championships). There is really no describing Klay and his game. It’s a paradox. To paraphrase Bruce Lee, he’s like water. Formless. Shapeless. On the floor with Durant and Curry, he is absent from the minds of defenders. Klay just flows, riding the game’s waves. Everything is fine until he hits a shot, then suddenly, he’s scalding. Shortly after, he’s scorching. It takes mere moments until he’s blistering the basket with a barrage of jumpers. What’s the most dangerous part of all of this? He barely even needs the ball.

Thompson torched the Indiana Pacers in December of 2016 to the tune of 60 points (40 points at halftime) in just 29 minutes through 3 QUARTERS (sitting the 4th). Before Klay’s offensive onslaught, Larry Bird had the highest scoring output for a player who played less than 30 minutes. Larry Legend had 43. Even more impressive about Klay’s 60 point game is the fact that he only took 11 dribbles and had the ball in his hands for 90 total seconds. He didn’t get hot and decide to isolate at the top. He didn’t demand the ball in the post against smaller defenders. He kept fluid. He kept moving. Pindowns, duck ins, shuffle cuts, a backdoor here and there. The very definition of offensive efficiency. True to himself and the coaching gameplan, this is how Klay plays. Unselfishly. He sets good screens, sprints hard to his spots, and stays within himself. If he has a heat check moment, he’ll let it fly, but he’s not shooting 35 footers for the fun of it. He shoots to make. He does everything with purpose and that’s something each and every basketball player should learn.

If the Warriors had a fantastic four, Draymond Green would almost certainly be The Thing, being the defensive rock and all. Kevin Durant would likely be Mister Fantastic, because his limbs go out to everywhere and seems to extend further than what you thought was possible. Stephen Curry has been referred to as the Human Torch, for obvious reasons, but Klay Thompson certainly serves in dual roles. He is invisible until he isn’t. He’s so far below the radar on a team with two former Most Valuable Players and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year until he catches fire. Let’s talk about January 23, 2015. Klay went for 52 points against the Sacramento Kings. He went 11-15 from the 3 point line, and 16-25 from the field in just under 33 minutes. In the third quarter, he scored an NBA record 37 points (13-13 FGs, 9 3 pointers). The Warriors won 73 games in the regular season but faced calamity in the Western Conference Finals. Down 3-1 against Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder, they won game 5 at home. With Steph struggling, the Warriors looked to be on the ropes on the road, until Klay stepped in. 41 points on 14-31 shooting, and an NBA playoff record 11 (Yes, ELEVEN) 3 pointers brought them back from the brink in game 6 to force a decisive game 7 and a second straight NBA Finals berth. He flows until he’s fire, and boy does he get HOT.

  / 806148842563452928  

  / 806144399264587777  

*DESCRIPTION FROM OCT 2017

If you'd like to support me:
Venmo - @Evin_Gual
Cash App - $EvinGual
Patreon -   / evin_gual