BOSTON — Klay Thompson’s shot hasn’t been up to his championship standard in the first two games of the NBA Finals. But he just might have a modern solution to the issue of a shooting slump.
Over six straight playoff runs, Thompson has developed a funk-breaking trick that he hopes will work for Game 3: The Warriors guard pulls up YouTube, searches for his own highlight clips, and learns a thing or two from his past self.
“That’s the beauty of playing in today’s age,” Thompson said. “You can go on YouTube and look up all your great moments.”
It’s become routine for Thompson amid some of his bad slumps, before and after his two-year absence thanks to two major injuries. He watched highlights of himself earlier in the playoffs to get his shot going. After going 1-for-8 from 3 in the Warriors’ Game 2 win over Boston on Sunday — shooting collective 4-for-14 from distance in the first two games — Thompson went home, searched “Game 6 Klay” highlights, and put himself back in that mindset.
“There were some very high-pressurized situations I was in,” Thompson said. “I ended up shooting the ball well. When you can do it when your back is against the wall, you can do it at any given moment. It’s just about keeping that mental strong.”
Thompson has shot a career 49.5% from 3 and 44 percent from the field in three career Finals Game 6s. His stronger shooting nights in these playoffs have come later in each series — with the pressure on. But the sizzling scoring nights are few and far between. Thompson played through a garbage-time fourth quarter in Golden State’s Game 2 win to find some sort of rhythm, but he’s still 10-for-33 overall in the first two games.
The YouTube highlight database is a common source of inspiration for plenty of players. Steph Curry watches highlights of himself, too.
“All the best do that. I like that,” Curry said. He’ll often watch fellow sharp-shooters Ray Allen and Reggie Miller along with clips of his brother, Seth Curry, and old clips of his dad Dell Curry at Virginia Tech.
“Just more so being an NBA fan, consuming as much basketball as possible, you start to get motivated and inspired by all different types of people,” he said.
With Curry getting mugged by Boston’s defense, the pressure is on Thompson and Jordan Poole to take on a good chunk of the scoring responsibility. After a dismal Game 1, Poole had 17 points with five 3-pointers in Game 2. Now all eyes avert to Thompson to catch up.
Thompson’s legacy leans on a “shooters shoot” mentality. He doesn’t get gun-shy or lax defensively, even amid his slumps.
“He’s been through more than anybody can think of. We know that mentally he’ll bounce back, he’ll get under it,” Gary Payton II said. “We have our teammates pushing him and lifting him up, telling him that he’s more than a scorer for us.”
Added Otto Porter Jr.:
“Once he gets going, it’s going to help us out even more. Klay is going to be fine. He’s going to continue to play how he plays, and we’re going to continue to look for him, screen for him. He’s going to be great. He’s going to be great.”
There are lessons to be learned from his clips, Thompson says. Lately he’s been a “little rushed” and not “underneath my shot.”
“This is nothing I’m immune to. I’ve been through shooting slumps before. The best part is, it’s how you respond,” he said. “Come Game 3, I’ll probably not do much differently rather than just play with great pace and pump great shots. When I tend to do that, I tend to have a big night.”
His ascent with Curry and Draymond Green as part of the NBA’s latest dynasty and rapid fall with two major injuries has given Thompson perspective on those poor shooting nights.
“There could be nights where I’m hitting everything, I’m not hitting the rim at all. It’s just about realizing that, like, greatness takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “For what I’ve been through the last couple years, I will gladly be in this position, especially considering where I was at last year during June. Me and Rick Celebrini in the gym, just two in the arena, it was empty. There’s nobody in the Bay during that time.
“To be back here on this stage, just got to remind yourself to keep working because it’s a blessing and really an honor to be here.”
