Klay Thompson Responds to Narrative That Warriors Can't Guard Luka Doncic

Klay had thoughts on how Golden State is defending Luka

Joey Linn | May 19, 2022

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The Golden State Warriors did a great job on Luka Doncic in the first game of the Western Conference Finals, blowing the Dallas Mavericks out while holding Luka to just 20 points on 6/18 from the field. It was primarily Andrew Wiggins who drew the Luka assignment, but the Warriors sent frequent traps, forcing other players to help defend one of the league's top talents.

On how Wiggins' defended Luka, Steph Curry said that "He's just showing everybody what he's capable of in terms of impacting winning... Last series he demonstrated he's ready for this moment, and Game 1 he stepped up. I'm happy for him, because eight years in the league, this is his moment."

Steve Kerr reflected similar sentiments, saying, "I thought Wiggs was fantastic. [Luka] Doncic is as difficult of a cover as there is in this league... He did a fantastic job. Wiggs is just a huge part of our defense and our team."

Klay Thompson was also asked a defensive question, but instead of being asked specifically about Wiggins, Klay was asked about the popular narrative coming into this series that the Warriors had nobody to defend Luka Doncic.

"I don't follow that," Klay said when asked about the media narrative. "Luka is obviously one of the best players in the world. It didn't help they played two days ago, had that emotional high of winning a Game 7, so we expect them to come back with a much better effort on Friday. It's just one game, and we could feel good now, but this team was down 2-0 and won the series last round, so I don't really pay attention to the noise."

Recognizing Luka's greatness, despite his rough game in the WCF opener, Klay Thompson did not want to pay any attention to narratives. Instead, the two-way guard is focused on winning three more games and getting back to the NBA Finals.

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Published May 19, 2022

JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: 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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