Thompson put Warriors on his back
The Warriors had a must-win game and won it.
So that's a good thing.
You can quibble about the term “mustwin” all you want, but to me, had the Warriors lost to the Rockets on Friday night, the technicality of their playoff candidacy would not have mattered — it would have felt more than fair to write the Dubs off as a title contender.
Yes, Golden State was shorthanded — no Steph Curry, no Draymond Green, no Andrew Wiggins — but so were the Rockets, and they are perhaps the worst team in the NBA.
Half a title-contending team should beat half a team competing for the No. 1 overall pick.
And that's what happened, albeit with a bit of stress. Klay Thompson was the best version of himself, making 12 3-pointers, and the Warriors knocked down 14 more to win 116101.
KLAY DAY >> Thompson was incredible, and there are few joys in sports like watching him ignite.
You know Thompson is having a special game when he's scoring off the dribble.
Thompson touched the ball 56 times Friday, and his average time of possession was a full second longer than his average this season — 2.64 seconds. That's an eternity by Thompson's quick-release standards, but it's because the wing was putting the ball on the floor. The Warriors needed it.
Thompson was calling isolation plays for himself, and he was attacking the basket with free throws in mind. While he only had two official shot attempts from inside the 3-point line, he shot six free throws Friday, tied for his season high.
These kinds of Thompson games should be celebrated, given the wing's injury history. But they should not be surprising anymore. This wasn't some new level for Thompson — he's played at his level all season.
What happened Friday was that the Warriors needed more from their one playing star, and he provided. It's what all-time great players do.
EMPTY POOLE >> Conversely, Jordan Poole made a floater with 11:11 to play in the third quarter. That was his final field goal of the night.
Yes, Poole is 23 years old and a non-lottery pick who would be on the Warriors' bench to start a game under normal circumstances.
But he's also a player who will soon be on a nine-figure contract and whose only contribution to the team is his incendiary offense.
He did not provide it Friday. He hasn't provided it enough as of late.
Yes, Poole had eight assists against the Rockets, and every one resulted in a 3-point make, but only two came from any dribble penetration. The Rockets decided that defending above-the-break 3-pointers was beneath them. Simple passes to the right created open shots. That's why you don't remember Poole having a big assist night.
It was more telling that Poole was the only Warrior with a negative rating on Friday. This would have proven more significant in the contest if not for Thompson's brilliant game.
Poole is not yet the kind of player the Warriors can rely upon nightly. That reliability might come next season or beyond. It might not.
But undeniably disappointing that it has not shown up with Curry sidelined. There have been moments of control and offensive brilliance, but they were mere flashes. A game of such play has now turned into a quarter of it, at most, if it's not down to a few possessions.
This stretch was Poole's opportunity to give the Warriors a glimpse of the future — to prove that he is the team's star in waiting. If this is the future, the Warriors will have tough decisions to make this summer.
A BRIGHT FUTURE >> Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the kind of prospect that is difficult to shake.
There's something so pure about his game — he always makes you want to see more.
Baldwin was part of the rotation Friday, with so many Warriors sidelined. And while the Warriors rotations should shorten in the coming days, and Baldwin will not be part of that new, consolidated group, Friday night left me (and I imagine everyone who watched the game) wanting more.
Not only is Baldwin a physically impressive player — he's as long as a mid-June day — but he's clearly a smart player, too. His dad is a coach — now on the Georgetown staff — and while that doesn't guarantee basketball IQ (see: Porter, Michael), it can be a significant advantage for a young player heading into the league.
Countless players neither fit nor could handle the complexity of the Warriors' system. (See: Wiseman, James). Baldwin has no such problem.
His shot is pure, and it might be unblockable. He moves with purpose and grace. I thought he had a few nice defensive shifts Friday, though he needs to add strength this summer. He clearly understands at least the basics of the Warriors' motion offense.
The Warriors coaching staff validated that.