Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. Spurs

3. Klay proving he is a stand-alone talent (again)

Klay Thompson is a terrific fit next to Stephen Curry. You could argue the greatest fit possible; that if you were picking from all shooting guards in NBA history to pair with Curry, you would choose Thompson.

He is the best 3-and-D player of all-time, which makes him the perfect complementary talent to the solar system’s greatest gravitational force. Thompson is Mars, Curry is Jupiter and defenses are the asteroid belt.

But Thompson is an independent talent too, and he’s proven it twice on the biggest stage — first in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, when he averaged 27.0 points per game on 61.1 percent true shooting, leading the Warriors to a 5-2 record while Curry recovered from first an ankle and then an MCL injury.

He’s proving it again now. After scoring 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting (5-of-6 from 3) in Game 1, he followed up with 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting (5-of-8 from 3) two nights later. The Spurs were better on both ends in Game 2, and the Warriors were worse at least in terms of consistency. But Thompson was overwhelming, and his 16 fourth quarter points removed any doubt from the outcome.

There is a notion that Thompson cannot create his own shot. If you think that after watching his Game 2 highlights, the issue is with your definition of shot creation:

When you are 6’7″, have the purest stroke in the league, a speed-of-light release, unparalleled cutting IQ and the ability to shoot from any spot, square up from any angle and turn over either shoulder, you don’t need to dribble much. That doesn’t mean you’re not creating your own shots.