Golden State Warriors: 5 Things Klay Thompson Needs To Work On

1. Finishing In The Paint

May 12, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the third quarter in game four of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Spurs 97-87 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Thompson’s ability to knockdown long shots is overshadowed by his inability to finish in the paint. With each incredible 30-foot three-pointer came missed shot from point-blank range .

His 40.3 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc stands in stark contrast with his 29.4 percent for shots less than 10 feet from the rim but not directly at the rim. The playoffs brought these issues to light, as Thompson missed lay up after lay-up, or as I called them “Klay-Ups”.

This is by far the most important area to improve. It is unacceptable to miss 13 lay ups during the playoffs, nine of them in the series against San Antonio. The advice is clear here: for every long jumper that Thompson attempts during practice, he should be practicing two lay ups.