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Klay Thompson's Assignment: Attack the Basket More Often and More Efficiently
We all know that Klay Thompson can shoot the lights out of the gym. He led all rookies in three-point shooting percentage (.414) and three-pointers made (111) last season. There is no doubt that he will be regarded as one of the top sharpshooters in the NBA in the very near future.
But the same cannot be said about him when he is attacking the basket. Take a look at these advanced stats of Thompson's shot location courtesy of HoopData:
Shot Locations At Rim 3-9 Feet 10-15 Feet
| Player Name | Yr | Tm | Pos | GP | Min | M | A | FG% | %As | M | A | FG% | %As | M | A | FG% | %As | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klay Thompson | 2012 | GSW | G | 66 | 24.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 65.8 | 53.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 20.9 | 22.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 44.2 | 47.4 |
Ok, so what can we derive form this chart?
One thing stands out: take a look at Thompson's stats of shots from 3-9 feet, (which are conveniently highlighted in red) and compare them to the other shot locations. This is the one area that he seems to struggle in, shooting just 20.9 percent on field goals from within ten feet of the basket. Another point that this chart proves is that he doesn't even try to attempt shots close to the basket; only 0.7 attempts per game and making just 0.1 of them.
His field goal percentages form the other areas of the floor are all above 40 percent, but his Achilles' heel seems to be the area around the basket.
On Thompson's Twitter bio, he states he is "trying to catch Ray Allen one day". He may have as a good a three-point shot as Allen, but keep in mind that Allen also has the tenacity to attack the rim (the guy was in the dunk contest once, for Pete's sake).
I know this may seem unfair, but since Thompsom wants to be like Allen, let's show "Ray Ray's" shot location stats since 2007:
Shot Locations At Rim 3-9 Feet 10-15 Feet
| Player Name | Yr | Tm | Pos | GP | Min | M | A | FG% | %As | M | A | FG% | %As | M | A | FG% | %As | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Allen | 2007 | SEA | SG | 55 | 40.4 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 61.0 | 23.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 34.0 | 16.7 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 52.0 | 22.4 | ||||||||
| Ray Allen | 2008 | BOS | SG | 73 | 35.9 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 60.0 | 50.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 44.0 | 30.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 31.0 | 43.5 | ||||||||
| Ray Allen | 2009 | BOS | SG | 79 | 36.3 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 64.0 | 60.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 60.0 | 41.4 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 47.0 | 27.3 | ||||||||
| Ray Allen | 2010 | BOS | SG | 80 | 35.2 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 67.8 | 58.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 47.5 | 52.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 57.7 | 61.0 | ||||||||
| Ray Allen | 2011 | BOS | SG | 80 | 36.1 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 65.0 | 59.8 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 45.6 | 51.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 48.9 | 50.0 | ||||||||
| Ray Allen | 2012 | BOS | SG | 46 | 34.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 68.8 | 58.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 35.3 | 41.7 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 40.9 | 72.2 |
As you can see, Allen's field goal percentage on shots from within ten feet is well above Thompson's meager 20.9 percent. Even at age 37, Allen was able to squeeze out a 35.3 shooting percentage.
It obviously isn't fair game to compare a future Hall-of-Famer to a developing second year player, but Thompson should look up to Allen as a mentor. What made Ray Allen so lethal in his prime was his ability and willingness to attack the basket. If defenders backed off on him, he would drain a three. If they played him tight, he would just blow right past the defender to the rim.
That is exactly what Klay Thompson has to do if he wants to take his game to the next level. We all know that he can shoot the three, but we also know that he can't drive and attack the basket. Teams will (and already have) pick up on that and play him tight on the perimeter, forcing him to either give up the ball or drive to the rim, which, as evidenced by the stats, is not exactly his strong suit.
Posted in: Golden State Warriors,Klay Thompson
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