In the Golden State Warriors’ 130-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks, the Dubs’ third in a row, Klay Thompson made his return to the hardwood after missing the last due to injury maintenance.
The 31-year-old All-Star came back and showed some new tricks up his sleeve, not only scoring 15 points on 6-12 shooting from the field and shooting 3-5 from three-point range. He handed out six assists as well in a season-high 26 minutes. The most noticeable dime came when Thompson threw a behind-the-back pass to Andrew Wiggins in transition for a layup. Most surprisingly, Thompson ended up three behind-the-back passes.
“Growing up, it’s funny. Coaches try to tell you to fundamentally throw not one-handed passes, but two-handed chest passes,” Thompson told NBA.com. “But if you want to be a complete basketball player, you got to be able to make that behind-the-back play.”
Don’t get it twisted; Thompson can make the simple pass. The 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft just wanted to show off his creativity. Instead of shooting the ball like he usually would, Thompson decided to make the right play, prioritizing the Warriors’ signature team play even more than he does typically. His career-high for assists is eight, achieved in four other regular-season games. He has posted six dimes or more in 25 previous games.
In the seven games he’s played so far, Thompson averages 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from long-distance. The Warriors play the Timberwolves at home on Thursday.
