Klay Thompson Re-Establishing Himself as NBA All-Star
Klay Thompson has steadily found his rhythm after playing through a back injury in the first couple months of the 2016 NBA season.
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For Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, it can be tough trying to stand out if your name isn’t Stephen Curry or Draymond Green.
The reigning MVP is currently the best player in the league as the first half of the season comes to a conclusion, averaging a league-high 29.3 points per game to go with his 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Among players that have played more than 30 games this season, Curry sports a league-high net rating of 23.2, leading his team to a 33-2 record.
Right behind Curry is the heartbeat of the Warriors, who has a second-best net rating in the NBA at 21.5. Boasting a league-high seven triple-doubles — three of which were consecutive — the outspoken small-ball center has averaged 14.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks over the last five contests.
And then there’s Thompson, who, while trying to play through a lower back injury at the start of the season, struggled to perform at the All-Star level that everyone knows he’s capable. In the first 19 games the Warriors played throughout October and November, Thompson averaged a mere 15.4 points, equivalent to his scoring output in his second year with Golden State.
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It was unclear as to what degree his back had been bothering him, but he did end up missing an overtime thriller in Brooklyn in which Golden State found themselves struggling offensively without Thompson’s outside presence. Thompson also missed a double-overtime game against the Boston Celtics, this time due to a sprained ankle sustained the game before. Both injuries were very much unlike Thompson, who’s been an ironman for much of his career.
After Curry went inactive due to a shin contusion, many thought the team would turn to Thompson to be its top guy. Known as one of Golden State’s Splash Brothers, the moniker can sometimes confuse some fans by putting both Curry and Thompson on what seems to be equal ground.
Thompson, though a great player in his own right, has played second fiddle to Curry in the entirety of his tenure in Golden State, sometimes third if you consider Green to be more valuable to Golden State’s small ball system than Curry. Thompson’s 37-point quarter is certainly something that we’ll never forget, and he’s widely considered to be one of the Golden State’s top on-ball defenders, but the fact of the matter is that Thompson will possibly remain in Curry’s shadow so long as he continues to play alongside the league’s most dynamic scorer.
And that’s in no way disrespect to Thompson and his game, but rather an acknowledgment of the person that Thompson is, giving up the possibility of being a team’s first option to form one of the best backcourt tandems the NBA has ever seen. With guys like Curry, Green, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston acting as distributors, Thompson has had no problem fitting into the role of finisher for a team that highly relies on his ability to act as a secondary floor spacer.
Thompson has slowly found his way back following his poor play to start the season, averaging 25.3 points on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent shooting from behind the arc in the month of December. Over the past five games, he’s averaged 28 points a game, including three 30-point games.
Thompson left many fans surprised after declaring himself the best shooting guard in the game over names like James Harden and Jimmy Butler. It was even more surprising considering how quiet Thompson had been prior to this year, during which he had gained a reputation for being rather soft spoken and conservative.
But after playing a significant part in Golden State’s first championship win in 40 years and subsequently helping the team achieve a 33-2 regular season record, there really isn’t a reason to blame Thompson for finding the confidence he lacked in the beginning of the season as he did his best to work through a lingering back injury.
Thompson has quietly found his way back into the All-Star conversation, and the timing couldn’t be any better as the halfway mark of the season quickly approaches. Though Curry and Green may be basking in the limelight with their stellar play over the past few games, the guy wearing number 11 for Golden State hasn’t lost a step playing under the radar.
And with other teams putting their best defender on Curry while trying to play their best big man against Green, Thompson will continue to score at will against any player trying to stay with him, proving time and time again that you just can’t forget about Klay.
Next: Warriors Witness the Steph Curry Effect