10 keys to winning a title

Get Klay Thompson going

Klay Thompson is in a weird place right now. A few years ago, the talk surrounding the Golden State Warriors was about the Splash Brothers. The dynamic duo of Thompson and Stephen Curry were the Warriors’ undisputed leaders.

Then Curry really separated himself from his backcourt mate. Then Draymond Green rose through the ranks and became the Dubs’ glue. Then the Warriors signed Kevin Durant.

Thompson made it clear that he wasn’t sacrificing anything and he didn’t. The distribution of shots was pretty balanced amongst Curry, Durant, and Thompson. He was named an All-Star.

Lately, though, he’s gotten a little lost in the offense. Curry and Durant have been nearly flawless as they’ve dominated the postseason. Meanwhile, Thompson can’t buy a basket.

He’s struggled to shoot the ball. He’s getting good looks and some of the Warriors have tried to get him some more chances to take shots, but he’s slumping. He hasn’t been able to find his rhythm, not like he did during last year’s postseason.

Still, his defense has been excellent. He’s also passing the ball well. It’s just his shooting that hasn’t come along for the ride.

In order to beat Cleveland, the Warriors will need all hands on deck. That means Thompson needs to get going. Golden State needs to figure out how to do that.

It’s mostly up to Thompson to make the shots he gets. He’s missing attempts that he normally could hit in his sleep. He needs to snap out of it.

But perhaps they could run some plays to get him some layups. Some looks at the rim could yield easy points or free throws, which shooters love to use to get into a rhythm. Or get him the ball earlier in the game.

Thompson is explosive. He can take over a game in an instant. He can be a game changer in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers give up a lot of open shots. When he gets them, he needs to put them in the basket.