“What the hell was up with that?” - Charles Barkley hilariously asks Klay Thompson about increased dribbling since his return

Klay Thompson in action during an NBA game [Source: The Athletic]

Charles Barkley seems to be keeping a close eye on Klay Thompson after the sharpshooter made his return to the NBA from a two-and-a-half-year injury layoff.

The former player turned analyst recently interviewed Thompson in one of the pregame segments on NBA on TNT on Thursday.

Barkley asked Thompson a hilarious question regarding his excessive dribbling in his first game back. Here's how the conversation between the duo went down (via NBA on TNT):

"I saw you dribble more times in that first game back than I've seen you dribble your entire career. What the hell was up with that?" asked Charles Barkley.

To which Thompson replied by stating that during his preparation in the lead up to the game he played a lot of one-on-one basketball, implying that the ball was in his hands the majority of the time. Klay did go on to clarify, however, that his ball-handling ability should not be over-looked.

"I don't know Chuck, I've been playing a lot of one on one to get ready for this moment. Draymond (Green) wasn't out there either, when Draymond's out there my job is much easier, I cut off the ball, I play off him, but I'm sure when we are whole again, you'll see me catching and shooting, cutting off the post, not dribbling as much as you like. I got that in my bag so don't sell me short."

Klay Thompson is one of the top catch-and-shoot players in the league. Very rarely has one seen him put the ball on the floor and opt to create his own shot due to how comfortable he has been shooting from tight angles. The guard has also recorded a 60-point game in which he took just 11 dribbles back in 2016 against the Indiana Pacers.

Back in 2016, when Klay Thompson erupted for 60 points, he amazingly used just 11 dribbles on his 21 made field goals. About 0.5 dribbles per bucket.

In last night's return, Klay used 15 dribbles on 7 made field goals. About 2 dribbles per bucket.

Iso Klay here to stay? https://t.co/tgWlo0pLkN

Klay Thompson has looked sharp in his first three games back while the Warriors continue to struggle offensively

Klay Thompson's play since returning from injury has been better than expected, he is moving around well and has seemingly been in attack mode from the jump. Thompson looks to be going downhill more, instead of just settling for jumpers or shots from beyond the arc. Thompson has played three games in a row so far, averaging 15.5 points in 20 minutes of playing time per contest.

FORGOT ABOUT KLAY https://t.co/i2ANPgemma

He is set to miss his first game since returning when the Warriors take on the Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back set. Golden State will miss him, especially on offense as they have struggled in that department over their last few games. They have also been without forward Draymond Green during that stretch.

The Dubs have averaged 96.2 points per game across their last five appearances. Considering how well they have played before, it is surprising to see them go through a rough patch like that. Nevertheless, Steve Kerr has had to deal with the absence of several key players. The Warriors, when healthy, remain one of the most lethal teams, so they will likely bounce back soon.