Klay Thompson can heat up in a hurry.
The Warriors sharpshooter holds the NBA record for the most points in a quarter (37) and tied an NBA record this season by hitting 10 consecutive 3-pointers to start a game. This season, he has actually shot better as he has made more consecutive shots.
As Reddit user bennyboy82 illustrated with a revealing graphic, Thompson's 3-point percentage this season has increased with each subsequent make.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Those are staggering statistics, but there is a very important caveat to consider, and that's the sample size.
Entering Wednesday, Thompson had attempted 493 shots from beyond the arc, and made 198 (40.2 percent). That accounts for a little under 12 percent of his 4,185 career 3-point attempts, and thus is not as representative of his true ability as a full sample of his entire career would be.
Breaking it down by consecutive shots makes the sample size even smaller. Thompson, for instance, has made eight consecutive 3-pointers three times this season. He's a noted deadeye from beyond the arc, but there's an element of randomness that needs to be taken into account.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
[RELATED: Klay apologizes to Warriors fans]
Yet, recent research shows there is something to the theory of the hot hand, and Thompson himself is on the record as a believer. His own success this season provides a fascinating counter-argument to the increasingly disputed notion that the hot hand is a fallacy.
That's all to say that the Warriors' approach shouldn't change much when Thompson is on a hot streak.
Just get Klay the ball.
