How Klay Thompson can get rolling for Golden State Warriors

It’s a common theme for the Golden State Warriors. When Klay Thompson is making shots, the Warriors have a better chance of winning. Without him, their chances plummet.

Seems like a pretty simple correlation. He’s the best available No. 2 to pair with Stephen Curry and without his consistency from deep, it gets all the more difficult to thwart a rampaging Boston Celtics team.

Through four games of the 2022 NBA Finals, Thompson’s efficiency has been all over the place. He is shooting just 24-of-67 (34%) from the floor.

Surprisingly, though, the Warriors lost the only game in which Thompson scored 20+ points, falling by 16 in Game 3.

Putting this anomaly aside, it’s evident how important Klay’s scoring is to the Warriors. Prior to the finals, Golden State is 5-1 when Thompson scores 20+ points in the playoffs this year.

What is the key to breaking Klay out of his slump? Will it be enough to help the Warriors snag the final two wins needed for a championship?

Klay Thompson needs to settle into a groove and play within the Golden State Warriors offense in order to be effective again.

It’s the same thing we’ve been saying for months. Klay Thompson needs to relax and allow the shots to come to him.

Klay is shooting 12-of-31 (38%) on catch and shoot 3-point attempts during the finals. Compare this to his 1-of-7 success rate on pull-up 3-pointers and 7-of-24 efficiency overall and it’s clear what the issue is.

It’s an issue that has plagued Thompson since his return to action. He’s rushing his attempts and looking to do it all in one possession rather than playing the game that made him a legend.

Game 4 is a solid example of this. He had been struggling all game until a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer got him going. On the next possession, with added confidence and rhythm, he took advantage of a mismatch for an easy mid-range jumper.

Before you know it, Klay was engaged again and getting stops on the defensive end.

A few plays later, he drilled another catch-and-shoot 3-pointer as the Warriors stormed in front for a victory on the road.

It’s not always easy to find quality catch-and-shoot looks but this is the strategy that made Klay into one of the best two-way players in league history. If he wants to add another title to his belt, he better get back to his roots.