Without Stephen Curry to rest, and against a Utah Jazz team that has lost 11 straight games, the scoring reins for the Golden State Warriors will have to be taken by Klay Thompson or the returning Jonathan Kuminga. did not become.
The latter was returning from a six-game absence and used this game to improve his form. Based on his stat line against the Jazz, he just didn't look like he was warming up: 21 points on 9-of-11 from the field. He scored on typical drives to the rim, served as a cutter in space, and ended advantage situations with typical composure.
Kuminga's return allowed Steve Kerr to put upside-down ball screens back on the menu, but they were unavailable in the last game against the Dallas Mavericks due to the absences of Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins. Typically, Curry or Thompson set these screens to take advantage of their appeal as shooters. This means that the defender will be reluctant to move away from either splash his brother, potentially causing coverage confusion at the point of the screen.
But with Curry out and Thompson preserved as much as possible, the Jazz used Kuminga's reverse ball screen to look for a switch mismatch.
Kuminga's 21 points were good enough for second place. Thompson was crowned leading scorer tonight with 32 points on 23 shots (6-of-10 on 2-pointers, 6-of-13 on 3-pointers) and a true shooting percentage of 67.0%. . This was usually a difficult task without Curry as the focal point. But against a Jazz team that lacked its best player and was weak defensively, it was a perfect opportunity for the Warriors to use Thompson as the focal point of their offense.
Not only was it inevitable that the Warriors featured Thompson heavily tonight, it was paramount that he maintain his shooting rhythm in time for important postseason games. Thompson has a legendary tendency to mindlessly score points at any time, and the more he gets into a rhythm, the more likely that is to happen.
Since his decision to come off the bench was made on February 15th, which coincidentally was his last matchup against the Jazz, Thompson has put up the following numbers:
- 18.9 points
- 53.6% in 2
- Three-shooting percentage: 41.4% (9.5 attempts per game)
- 60.5% real shooting
Thompson may not be the automatic scorer of 20+ points per game that he was in his prime, but the Warriors still expect him to be a key supplemental scorer and take pressure off Curry. . However, due to his limited handles and average passing chops, making him the primary option on offense wasn't really an option even in his prime. His best use offensively has always been as an off-ball move shooter, catch-and-shoot sniper, and cutter.
The advantage Thompson was creating is that he draws two defenders around off-ball screens, which is a key differentiator between him and Curry, and Curry creates an advantage on time. was completed. and Off-ball screen. But these days, Thompson has more opportunities to create an advantage on the ball.
Thompson will never be labeled as an elite passer in offensive coverage, but he has developed enough to make the right decisions often. His passes either create direct opportunities for teammates or lead to defense breakdowns and hockey assists.
Even though he's not as skilled a dribbler as Curry or other perimeter superstars, Thompson attracts this kind of coverage because of his reputation, and most opponents do so based on that reputation. It is carried out. It doesn't matter that Thompson is well below his career average in 3-point shooting. Teams don't want to risk igniting a match that could easily become an out-of-control wildfire.
Thompson is averaging nearly six fewer pull-up threes than catch-and-shoot threes this season, but his percentage of the former (39.2%) is slightly higher than the latter (38.0%). On a typical night with Curry, pull-up threes are never going to be a necessity for him, but against the Jazz he proved why he demands extra bodies around ball screens.
But his best use offensively will always be as a catch-and-shoot opportunity, a decoy. and As a decoy finisher.
Given the nature of the game and the opponents, Kerr had a bit of room to experiment with sets he rarely used. As expected, his two of them featured Thompson prominently in both of the above roles.
While the “horns” set (a formation with a ball handler at the top, two players at the elbow, and two players at each corner) is not typically a hallmark of an offense, the Warriors have Thompson as one of them. It was set at Players hit elbows on his two possessions using the same play, but with different results.
first:
After faking a ball screen, Thompson repositions from his elbow to the baseline. He then comes out of Draymond Green's “ejected” screen. At the same time, Chris Paul came off a Jackson Davis ball screen and drew two points for himself. Jackson-Davis next found himself with an open lane to the rim for two reasons.
- The main reason is that when Thompson comes off the exit screen, the rim protector (Omer Yurtseven) is pulled away from the paint.
- Brandin Podzemski's “shake” (lift) from the corner to the wing pulls the defender away from a potential tag or rotation into a roll.
When the Warriors run this same Horns set again, the Jazz will focus on containing the roll (through switching), opening up catch-and-shoot opportunities for Thompson in the corners.
In another half-court set, Thompson had another chance to create an advantage and become a finisher. When Paul and Green work together on an “angle” ball screen, another action occurs simultaneously on the weak side. Thompson's flare screen, also known as the “Hammer” screen, heading into the corner.
The ball screen action requires help from the weak side against Green's roll, allowing Thompson to cut toward the basket from the “hammer” screen. Help comes anyway, but Thompson adjusts with a reverse layup.
With important games still remaining, the Warriors will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night to determine who will play the tiebreaker, but Thompson being in this condition means that Curry and the Warriors will play well. It only helps increase their chances of getting out of the -tournament, carving another playoff spot on their belt.
