Golden State Warriors: 3 Keys to success in Klay Thompson’s return

2. Contain Darius Garland

Last year, Draymond Green rose a few eyebrows when he said Darius Garland was one of the toughest players for him to guard. Now, the rest of the NBA is finding out Draymond was right.

Garland has emerged as a premier point guard, threatening to make his first All-Star Game if he is able to garner enough recognition from coaches to earn a spot as a reserve. DG is averaging 19.7 points and 7.4 assists on efficient shooting splits.

His frenetic ball handling and herky-jerky playstyle make Garland a difficult player to contain. He is elite at getting into the paint where he is a multi-faceted threat, showing perfect timing on lob-passes, kick-out passes, scoop layups and floaters.

I would not expect Klay Thompson to hold too much responsibility in checking Garland in his first game back — but it will take a team effort to keep DG from breaking down the Golden State defense and putting his team in a position to attack.