Klay Thompson showed his propensity for having a quick trigger, attempting 15 3-pointers while canning six of them for a 40-percent night from beyond the arc during a 119-106 Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets.
Thompson, who can often become the forgotten man on offense when his All-Star teammates are dominating, showed a healthy involvement in the outing, making 9-of-18 from the floor for 28 points.
Inside The NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal marveled at the shooting guard’s quick release, asking if it’s something he practices.
“It is,” said Thompson. “It’s something I got better at as I grew older, but I practice it all the time. I try to shoot with Steph. I think he’s the only one in the league with a quicker release than me. So I try to be like him.”
"I think he's the only one in the league with a quicker release than me. So I try to be like him."@KlayThompson talks training with @StephenCurry30 & more. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/SzULAyk0yd
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 15, 2018
Charles Barkley, who has been a huge proponent of Thompson as one of the NBA’s elite shooting guards, praised the sharpshooter and asked if his name coming up third or fourth in discussions for best at the position bothered him at all.
“I don’t care,” said Thompson. “I get paid handsomely, I play in a great place in the Bay Area and we compete for championships year in and year out. That’s hard to do, a lot of guys never really get that opportunity.”
“I’m grateful just to be a part of this team since day one, I’ve been a Warrior. I’m just thankful to be here, because we have such a good thing going.”
Whether it’s Thompson deferring to Curry as the quickest trigger in the league, or humbly playing down any sense of him being underrated — his comments ameliorate any skepticism from fans thinking he could seek other offers in free agency, having doubled down on his commitment to the franchise earlier this season as well.
