Klay Thompson has shot better than 40 percent from deep in each of his first eight seasons in the NBA, and it appeared as if Thompson would be in danger of continuing this streak through the first two months of the season.
Thompson was really struggling shooting the ball early in the season, with many wondering how long he’d slump and what the reason for the slump was. Through the December 27 game against Portland, Thompson was shooting a mere 33 percent from long range with six games without making a single shot from beyond the arc.
Things turned around on December 29, also against Portland, when he made four of five from deep, effectively ending the slump that he was in. Since that game, Thompson is shooting a shade under 50 percent from long range on nearly eight attempts per night. Now, after the 36-point outburst in Miami, Thompson is shooting 40 percent from deep.
Thompson has six games with at least 30 points since Dec. 29 and has at least 20 in 16 of the 24 games since the same date.
If Thompson keeps scoring at this pace, he has a shot at eclipsing the best scoring season of his career when he averaged 22.3 per game during the 2016-17 season.
It’s been a hell of a turn around for Thompson, who is in a contract year. The hot shooting since the end of December is all the Warriors need to know if they’re set on offering him a max deal this summer.
Stats provided by basketball-reference.com.
