Not Stephen Curry, Shaquille O’Neal Drops Heavy Burden on Klay Thompson Despite Benching Backlash

The Golden State Warriors have won eight out of their last nine games, and are ready for the play-in tournament next week. With their season on the line, fans have high hopes for Stephen Curry to save the team from a heart-breaking elimination. However, Shaquille O’Neal is confident that Dub Nation can make it to the playoffs if they face the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in. But, Shaq is not betting on Stephen Curry. He has the other Splash Brother in his mind.

Ahead of the NBA playoffs, Shaq sat with co-host Adam Lefkoe to give his thoughts about various teams that are in contention. The Golden State was one of them, and he believes they are a dark horse because of one star. Adam Lefkoe shared, “It’s hard to bet against Stephen Curry”. Shaq chimed in, “But it’s not him, Klay Thompson. For a guy like that, all it needs is two games…Right now, everybody’s killing him, ‘Oh, you’re coming off the bench, you lost it, you lost it’. He’s still playing. All it takes is one of those games where his elbow is tucked in, and he’s feeling it, and everybody’s counting them out.”

Shaq looked back into Klay Thompson‘s famous 60-point game against the Indian Pacers in 2016, in which he took just 11 dribbles.

The Lakers legend believes Thompson can do something similar in the upcoming games to help the Warriors make a deep playoff run. And also, Klay has been quite effective, both as a starter and as the 6th man. Let’s see how he has changed the narrative despite all the criticism. 

The Warriors’ winning record since the All-Star break and how Klay Thompson has played a part in it

The Warriors are 17-9 since the All-Star break, and Thompson played a total of 14 games off the bench in this run. As a 6th man this year, he averaged 19.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. What’s to note in Thompson’s performance off the bench is the +/-. He had a negative +/- in only four games, and more importantly, he worked his way back into the starting spot. 

Read more: Stephen A. Smith Backtracks on Stephen Curry’s Downfall as Klay Thompson Ignites Heat Culture in Warriors’ Playoff Push

Thompson returned as a starter on March 26 against the Miami Heat. Ever since his return, the Warriors have won eight out of their last nine games, which shows how he has turned the table over the last few months. Shaq’s perspective on Thompson makes more sense now. The Splash Brother has made 259 three-pointers in this season so far, with an average of 3.5 shots made per game. Let’s see if Thompson can continue with more efficiency in the upcoming games, to take his team to the playoffs. What do you think?

Read more: “Winning Is Boring” for Klay Thompson, Claims Shaquille O’Neal Unraveling Warriors Star’s Mental Agony