“That’s what Klay fails to realize.… This is false bravado” - NBA analyst on Klay Thompson saying he’s getting 2015 vibes from the Warriors, believes the Celtics are a ‘different animal’ compared to the Cavs
Shannon Sharpe disagreed with Warriors guard Klay Thompson for comparing their 2022 NBA Finals to the 2015 NBA Finals. Thompson and company were down 2-1 seven years ago against LeBron James' Cavaliers. They find themselves in a similar position against the Boston Celtics.
Sharpe believes that the Cavaliers were dealing with injuries, and the Celtics aren't. That's the difference Klay Thompson has "failed to realize" while drawing comparisons.
Here's what the former NFL star said on Fox Sports show 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed' regarding this:
"Which of the 2 or 3 best players of the Boston Celtics are no longer going to play the rest of this series? Because that's what Klay fails to realize.
"Kyrie went out in overtime with Game 1, Kevin Love never set foot in the NBA Finals. So the best player was LeBron, the next two players, basically one played a game, and the other never played."
Shannon Sharpe continued:
"I know what Klay is trying to do. Klay understands what he's up against. ... There's a lot of things that have changed. I get it that you're down 2-1, I get it that you feel like you've been familiar, but this is what they do.
"Remember when they Draymond said after the first game they lost, 'oh we feel very very confident.' Well, this is a different animal."
Sharpe compared the next best player after LeBron James from the 2015 NBA Finals, Timofey Mozgov, to Al Horford. Sharpe claimed that Horford is a much better player, despite being down the pecking order on the list of the Celtics' best players.
The Fox Sports analyst claimed Boston has better depth than the 2015 Cavs, which led to him disagreeing with Klay Thompson's take. He said:
"For me, the only similarity is that the Warriors are down. They're down, but Boston is healthy. Boston is young and healthy. So I don't see it. This is false bravado."
Klay Thompson and the Warriors remain confident they can overcome the 2-1 deficit
The Golden State Warriors have been the favorites entering every NBA Finals they've reached over the last eight years, except this one.
The Boston Celtics' depth is considered the best in the 2022 playoffs. They beat tough teams in the Brooklyn Nets, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and the East's first seed Miami Heat.
The Warriors, compared to the Celtics, lack depth. They also lack size and athleticism, which has been crucial in their two losses.
However, Klay Thompson and company have remained confident in their ability to turn things around due to their superior experience. Here's what Thompson said in his recent press conference:
"All of us our human, we're not immune to a bad night or two. But I know one thing for sure: we respond like champions."
The Golden State Warriors will need Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to produce consistently if they are to get back in front in the finals. The two stars have struggled to compliment Steph Curry well so far, which has been one of the key reasons behind the Dubs' struggles.