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Nicolas Batum Says Klay Thompson Inspired His Quick Release Threes

LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum pays homage to Golden State Warriors sniper Klay Thompson

Joey Linn

Mark J. Terrill - AP
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Nicolas Batum has one of the quickest releases in all of basketball. His ability to knock down catch and shoot threes without bringing the ball down is a skill that only few in the league have mastered. According to Batum, Klay Thompson is the best at it.

During the third quarter of Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns, Batum splashed a right corner three without ever bringing the ball down following the catch. It was an impressive shot, and one that few players in the league would even attempt. When asked after the game if he's seen anybody else do that, Batum said, "Klay [Thompson] is like that. He’s the best at it in the league for sure." Hardly anyone could haggle with Batum's assertion that Klay Thompson is the game's best quick release shooter, as he has proven to be arguably the best ever in that category.

Throughout Klay Thompson's career, he has famously put up monster performances without hardly dribbling the ball. His ability to get open off the ball, and then get rid of it once it finds him, is truly second to none. As a primary catch and shoot threat on this Clippers team, Batum has obtained a similar ability to release his threes immediately upon catching the basketball. It is incredibly impressive to watch, and Batum executed it perfectly during this game against Phoenix.

After splitting their back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, the Clippers will now head back home for a date with the Houston Rockets on Thursday. This will be their last game before a much needed rest that will come via the All-Star break.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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