Grading Steph Curry and Klay Thompson's Performance at 2015 All-Star Weekend

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors embraced the atmosphere of the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend by getting involved in a variety of ways during both days of competition.

The action began during All-Star Saturday Night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where both of the Splash Brothers were involved in one of the fiercest three-point shooting contests of all time. On Sunday, the two started the All-Star Game at the famed Madison Square Garden in downtown New York City.

Let’s take a look at their grades by looking at the specifics. How did each player fare in the contests, did the player contribute to the Western Conference’s result and how much did each Splash Brother increase his marketability on one of the Association’s biggest stages?

Shooting Stars Competition

Saturday night started out with the NBA Shooting Stars competition, which was a family affair for Curry. His dad, former NBA guard Dell Curry, teamed with him and current WNBA star Sue Bird.

Steph Curry must have had his focus on the next event, because he was the weak link on his team. He took three attempts to hit a three-pointer and was unsuccessful in his one try from half court.

His team was eliminated in the first round, but at least Steph Curry got loose for his main competition of the night. The Curry clan received about a minute of face time and became an immediate afterthought.

Curry’s Shooting Stars Grade: C-

Foot Locker Three-Point Contest

At the main event of the evening, eight star shooters took part in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest. The Splash Brothers had to compete against two former winners: last year’s champion, Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs; and the 2013 champion, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The field also included sharpshooters James Harden (Houston Rockets), Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks), Wesley Matthews (Portland Trail Blazers) and J.J. Redick (Los Angeles Clippers). This was arguably the toughest field ever put together.

Curry and Thompson were placed as the fifth and sixth contestants, which was a benefit to both since they had a better idea of what score they needed to advance to the three-person championship round.

Curry stepped up first and showed that he was ready compared to his first three outings in this event. He hit his shots consistently at each station, but he really cashed in with the moneyball rack at his final stop to score 23 points.

Thompson stepped up next having to beat a score of 23 to guarantee a Splash Brothers finale with both Korver and Belinelli still to come. He started out strong by nailing every shot in his second rack, and he continued the hot shooting to record a round-high 24 points.

Thompson did a great job in his introduction to the national stage by advancing and having his first opportunity to show off his new ANTA “KT Fire” shoes.

The final round included Irving, Curry and Thompson, competing in that order. Irving was not as hot as his first go-round, scoring 17 points.

Curry then took the stage to see if he could finally cash in on one of these contests. He impressed everyone.

Curry started off missing his first two attempts, but then he flipped on the microwave. Curry eventually hit 13 in a row (the same number of shots Thompson made in his record third quarter) and walked out with a jaw-dropping score of 27.

Thompson just walked into a firestorm given that he had to surpass 27 points to earn the title. He started hot but soon started missing his shots.

The pressure applied by Curry deterred Thompson. Klay finished with only 14 points in his final go, but he was happy that the trophy was going home to the Bay.

Per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, Thompson said this was routine for Curry.

"Shooting is his thing," Thompson said. "He’s been doing that since he was born. He’s been putting on a show his entire NBA career and even back in college. I’m proud of him. Hopefully, he’ll let me win next year."

Curry’s Three-Point Grade: A+

Thompson’s Three-Point Grade: A-

Curry's All-Star Game Performance

Curry and Thompson did not start the game in the usual manner for both Warriors. The two missed early shots, and Curry turned the ball over.

Curry changed his tune, but Thompson was maybe struck by the moment.

Let’s take a look at Curry’s performance and some of the excitement he provided for the national stage.

Things finally kicked into gear for Curry when he made his first three-pointer later in the first quarter. Settled in, he pulled down a difficult offensive rebound from a Tim Duncan miss, got set and lofted a no-look helper to James Harden for the slam.

During the game breaks, the Curry One ad by Under Armour featuring film star Jamie Foxx was advertised. In case you missed it, here is another part of Curry’s national campaign.

As for coaching, Steve Kerr and his Warriors staff were in charge of the primarily offensive party, where both teams combined for 321 points—an NBA All-Star Game record.

As you can see, per NBA on TNT, Coach Kerr used a very basic game plan.

Curry later flashed his handles with a true All-Star move by dancing around several defenders and dropping one off the glass to score. Per SB Nation, here was Curry with his moves:

Curry ended the contest with 15 points, nine boards and five assists for the winning team.

Curry’s All-Star Game Grade: A-

Thompson's All-Star Game Performance

As for Thompson, this game was a growing experience for Klay. He was happy with his overall weekend experience, as he was able to team with his fellow Splash Brother.

The game was relatively disappointing for Thompson, as he had a first quarter to forget. He did not score, missed three shots from behind the arc and had to watch the party put on by All-Star MVP Russell Westbrook.

Thompson did get on the scoreboard with three minutes left in the first half, but his shooting was far below average. He ended up making only one of nine shots from behind the arc and two out of 11 from the field.

Thompson sat the entire fourth quarter so he could watch Curry, Chris Paul and Westbrook secure the win for the Western Conference squad.

In the game, Thompson scored only seven points, with four rebounds and six assists. From Laurence Scott and Warriors.com, Thompson’s few highlights are shown below.

Thompson’s play did not embellish the brand movement from his new shoe launch or his relative success in the Three-Point Contest. However, Thompson is establishing his own brand away from Curry and his father, Mychal, so it was a solid weekend for him.

He also strutted around during the NBA’s first fashion show.

Thompson’s All-Star Game Grade: C+

Moving Forward

It didn’t hurt that on Sunday morning Curry went to the Under Armour SoHo Brand House store in New York City and bought 11 teenagers his new Curry One shoes. Per SLAM Magazine:

The Warriors, including Coach Kerr and staff, went to Brooklyn and New York City to give the East a taste of their success. All of the parties involved did not disappoint, and the Warriors are continuing to build their brand equity.

The Splash Brothers have established credibility in the Association. Continue to watch that level grow for years to come.

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