2017 NBA Finals: 5 things to watch for ahead of Game 1
By Evan Dyal
Klay’s Slump
Not much has gone wrong during Golden State’s 12-0 playoff run, but if you had to pick something, it’s Klay Thompson’s slump, and Steve Kerr’s absence. Neither has mattered so far, but each can manifest itself on the biggest stage.
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Let’s start with Klay. In the regular season he averaged 22 points on 46 percent shooting. In the playoffs it has fallen to 14 points on 38 percent shooting. What is more concerning is his numbers have fallen each round. He seems healthy; he’s getting good looks for the most part, so what’s causing this slump?
One reason is he’s facing very good defenders. Danny Green is an all-NBA defender, and Joe Ingles took JJ.Reddick out of a series. Another reason could be as simple as Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have been rolling, and they haven’t been looking for Klay as much. There is some proof to that; he is taking about three less shots per game compared to the regular season.
Looking forward to the NBA Finals, the Warriors are going to need more from Klay Thompson.
Expect Cleveland to test Klay’s slump early. In last year’s NBA Finals, outside of a monster Game 5, Klay had a fairly quiet series. Believe it or not, JR Smith played some great defense on him last year. Klay is a streaky shooter. This is a guy who in the same week had a 60 point game and a 10 point game.
Golden State may try to get him going early in Game 1. If he gets going, and the other big three keep rolling, it’s over for the Cavs.