Klay Thompson unexpectedly stands as the leading playoff scorer for the Golden State Warriors this postseason.
No one could have foreseen Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson starting off the 2018 NBA Playoffs this hot.
Of course, that’s not to say that Thompson wasn’t capable of this kind of start. He’s consistently been one of the most prolific shooters in the league, trailing incredibly close behind teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
Considering his rather quiet regular season, however, many expected Thompson to do more of the same in the postseason, most especially with Curry — Klay’s top ball feeder last season — stuck on the sidelines for at least the first round.
For context, Thompson averaged just 20.0 points in 73 games this season, his lowest mark since the 2013-14 season. To his credit, he had his most efficient scoring year this past season, shooting a career-high 48.8 percent from the field and a career-high 44.0 percent from behind the arc.
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But as soon as the playoffs started, the Warriors flipped the switch, as did Klay Thompson.
In Golden State’s first game against the San Antonio Spurs, Thompson dropped in 27 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 35 minutes. He was amazingly efficient, shooting 84.6 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from long range.
In the team’s second game, Thompson posted 31 points and five assists in 39 minutes, shooting 60.0 percent overall, 62.5 percent from three and 100 percent from the free throw line.
What that translates to over the course of both games: 29.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 69.7 percent shooting from the field, 71.4 percent shooting from behind the arc and a perfect 100 percent from the free throw line.
In addition, not only has Klay established himself as the team’s top scorer, but he’s also earned a spot on the NBA’s list of playoff scoring leaders with a league-high 10 three-pointers.
Next: Warriors will try to extend series lead in San Antonio
The Spurs threw every strategy at Klay last game, attempting to play physical with him, deny him the ball and double him when necessary. As we saw, however, there’s absolutely nothing the Spurs can do to stop him.
You can only hope to contain him.