Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson has turned to Youtube videos as he attempts to snap his NBA Finals scoring slump ahead of game three against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old five-time All-Star has failed to produce his best form so far in the series, shooting just 10-of-33 from the field and 4-of-15 from deep.
In the Warriors’ game two win on Sunday, Thompson went 4-of-19, a 21.1% shooting percentage — the second worst performance of his career in 29 NBA Finals game appearances.
Thompson, one of the deadliest shooters in NBA history, said Tuesday he is unfazed by his indifferent start to the finals.
He has spent this week watching old videos of his best performances in an attempt to remind himself of his abilities.
“That’s the beauty of playing in today’s age,” Thompson said. “You can go on YouTube and look up all your great moments.
“When you go through a shooting slump, the video guys will pull up a great game of when everything seemed in unison, your body was working so well, that ball was just flowing off your fingertips.
“Probably just YouTube ‘Game 6 Klay’ because there were some very high-pressurized situations I was in. 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 blown hot and cold throughout this postseason season, but has usually delivered a big performance in each of the playoff rounds leading into the finals.
In the Western Conference finals, he came good with eight three-pointers in a 32-point display as the Warriors clinched the series in game five win over the Dallas Mavericks.
‘Loud impact’
The memory of that performance is one of the reasons why Thompson is relaxed about his form heading into game three, confident that sooner or later he will come good.
“I hadn’t had a multiple three-point game throughout the series, but I stuck to the process, eventually I blew the lid off,” Thompson said.
“For me it’s about keeping that same mindset of shooters shoot. I’d rather go down swinging than being gun shy.”
Thompson also has no problem putting his present form into perspective given that he only returned from a two-year injury absence in January. This time last year, he was alone practicing in an empty gym.
“For what I’ve been through the last couple years, I will gladly be in this position,” Thompson said.
“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.”
Those closest to Thompson are also unconcerned by his dip in form, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr confident he will pull out of his slump.
“I’m not particularly concerned about it because this isn’t the first time it’s happened,” Kerr said. “Klay has a way of responding to mini slumps or whatever you want to call them.”
Stephen Curry, who has carried the Warriors offensive burden in the first two games, said Thompson was likely to find form at any time.
“History with him has shown there’s no predictor,” Curry said on Tuesday.
“He can just take it to another level. Regular season, playoffs, he’s always just found a way to get himself going. Especially in the playoffs, just to make an impact that’s loud. Usually it’s really loud.
“It’s all about the work you put in, it’s about the mindset. He doesn’t need any teaching points on that. That’s why there’s so much confidence that at any moment he can go off.”
