The Curious Case of Klay Thompson

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) passes the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

By: Yama Hazheer

Klay Thompson was a hot commodity this past offseason. Trade rumors between him and All-Star Kevin Love were being discussed regularly and tons of praise was directed towards the two-way guard. Some executives actually preferred Thompson over the 19-year old with untapped potential, Andrew Wiggins.

-== Klay Thompson’s Top 5 Dunks Of His Career ==-

One of the primary factors in Thompson getting attention from other teams was the belief that the Warriors would not ink him up to a max-contract.

Golden State stood still. The Warriors signed Thompson to a long-term, max deal a few weeks into the season and talks of him exiting the Bay came to a close.

This season has been a roller coaster for him. He clearly improved in facets of his game that many doubted he could, and made Bob Myers and the Warriors look like geniuses for not dealing him in the offseason.

However, a main concern about Thompson was his lackluster postseason play. Star players step up to the occasion when their number is called, especially in the playoffs. Thompson has been somewhat inconsistent when it matters most.

May 9, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA;Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

After an impressive series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Thompson regressed and has been on and off in these past 5 games against the grit n’ grind of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Game 1

Mike Conley did not play due a facial fracture, allowing Stephen Curry and Thompson to play loose. Tony Allen took turns defending each player, but Thompson still saw the defensive specialist more often.

He made half of the 16 shots he took, including a couple of three-balls and handed out six assists. It was the most dimes he had in a game since April 2.

It was an efficient Thompson-like performance, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Game 2

Tides turned quickly in Game 2 as Allen dominated Thompson. He only shot 40 percent from the field and took more shots (15) than points scored (13). That’s obviously never a good sign. He had 5 careless turnovers to go with it and a series of bad plays.

It will go down as one of the worst games of Thompson’s playoff career, but he did manage to save face by hitting a few shots in the 4th quarter to close the gap. No surprise here, the Warriors lost and Memphis stole home court advantage.

Game 3

Thompson had a much better game in the third one. He made 8-13 field goals, 3 threes, leading to 20 points and he grabbed 8 rebounds. The last time he grabbed that many boards was March 31 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Thompson was uncharacteristic from the foul line, though. He only made one free throw out of his four attempts. The Memphis crowd might have gotten to him, but that’s definitely out of the ordinary for Thompson.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA;Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Game 4

The Warriors had a comfortable win at The Grindhouse, led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and the playoff version of Harrison Barnes.

Thompson didn’t shoot the rock well. He hit 40 percent of his shots and didn’t get to the free throw line. It was the most he’s played all series, tapping 40 minutes but managed only 15 points. Luckily, the Warriors didn’t need anymore that night.

Game 5

Stop the presses! Tony Allen will not play tonight due to a sore hamstring and other lingering injuries. Dave Joerger says that Allen is in more pain that anyone knows. Uh oh. A couple of thoughts come to mind: first, does that mean he is out for the rest of the series? And has Thompson struggled against a one-legged Allen? Although, Allen on one leg is still a better perimeter defender than half the league.

Thompson called his father, Mychal, to attend the game. This would lead you to expect him to drop at least 30 points.

He led the Warriors in scoring with 21 points. It was the most points he scored this series and only turned it over two times. Thompson had five assists and four rebounds, so it was a well rounded game for the Splash Brother. He also connected on three of the four shots he took from beyond the arc and made all four of his free throws.

Now we’re talking.

Game 6 is a question mark. We don’t know which Thompson we will get. Allen will reportedly play and the game will be in Memphis.

May 11, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA;  Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

To Thompson’s credit, nearly everyone struggles against the Grizzlies. They are one of the premier defensive teams in the league.

During the regular season Thompson has played well against the Grizzlies. In the final regular season game in Memphis, he scored 28 points on 10-17 shooting and made six three pointers. In the last game of the season against the Grizzlies, he torched them for 42 points in 30 minutes.

He’s proven he can get the job done against them. Thompson hasn’t been himself offensively, but he has done well to contain Mike Conley the past few of games and that’s something he deserved more credit for.

It’s hard to predict what to expect out of him for the remainder of the series, but if his consistency is back, expect to see the Warriors in the next round and beyond. Until then, the Warriors will have to just live with the curious case of Klay Thompson.