The 2012-2013 NBA regular season for Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson was one that is best described as disappointing and at worst miserable.
He shot 42.2 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from beyond the arc and 84.1 percent from the free throw line. Overall he averaged 16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 82 games and during the season relied primarily on his three-point shooting.
Thompson found it difficult to score when the threes weren’t falling. Also, had a hard time creating his own shot off the dribble or when he got the chance to score on the inside he’d wind up missing the layup or shy away from contact.
During the Warriors first round series against the Denver Nuggets he found himself in foul trouble and offensively still was inconsistent. The second round series against the San Antonio Spurs he looked better in the first two games.
He scored 19 points on 8-15 shooting though he fouled out. That allowed for the Spurs to comeback from an 18 point deficit and eventually pull out a victory in double overtime.
It was game two that Thompson came out on fire scoring 29 points in the first half and making seven threes. He also made an impact on the glass as he grabbed 14 rebounds.That’s when the defense of the Spurs tightened up on him for the rest of the series.
From game three to game six he shot 33.4 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from three and did not attempt a single free throw, averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
With his struggles rookie Harrison Barnes illustrated why the Warriors took him with the seventh pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He stepped up his game showing a consistent outside jumper, that he could handle the ball decently and get to a spot where he would hit a nice mid-range jumper and used his strength posting up.
Unfortunately for Barnes he took a hard fall in game six right before halftime and even though he started the second half, he eventually got removed from the game due to headaches. In the last four games he averaged 18 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 43 percent shooting, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc and 88.2 percent from the free throw line.
The Warriors saw a glimpse of the future with Barnes. Now the hope is that Thompson illustrates that he can handle the basketball and drive to the hoop or get to a certain spot on the floor even if it means creating contact as he’s an excellent free throw shooter.
One thing is for sure hopefully Thompson forgets about his miserable 2012-2013 campaign and becomes a consistent scorer. He has shown that he is a very good defender and expect in 2013-2014 he won’t pick up as many ticky-tack fouls.