"Klay Thompson's the best shooter in the NBA, but he's not even the best shooter on his own team." -- George, my barber.

This line is one that could only be said by a basketball fan, especially one who resides in the Bay Area. The Golden State Warriors, an organization that's languished in purgatory between elite and terrible for almost 40 years, has suddenly become the NBA's very best team. With a roster full of emerging young talent and veterans finely tuned in Steve Kerr's machine, the Dubs are the league's most entertaining team to watch.

Thompson is their assassin, a star who never met a shot he didn't like and is ready to erupt like a volcano at a moment's notice. You know, like 37 points in a quarter. (Really: 37 points in nine and a half minutes.)

Unfortunately, he's not the face of the Warriors. He's not Stephen Curry.

Thompson's status as a secondary star is similar to elite players before him like Russell Westbrook, Scottie Pippen, Joe Dumars and James Worthy. All gifted players who lurk in the shadow of an elite teammate, yearning to prove they're just as good as their peer. No one desires to become Robin, though they settle when necessary for the good of the team. The dream is always to be Batman.

Thompson's scenario is unique because it's not just Curry's shadow he's trying to overcome, but also his father's. Mychal Thompson, a 13-year NBA veteran who's most notably known for being an integral part of back-to-back Los Angeles Lakers title squads, has always been Klay's harshest critic.

A lesser player would wilt under Mychal's harsh eye. Instead, Klay has found a way to flip the script. Via Grantland:

"Trying to chase Steph. That’s how you stay hungry. Try to do what he does. I can’t do that. I don’t think anyone on this planet can."

***

There's nothing like going to a Golden State Warriors practice in the heart of downtown Oakland. Once you enter the building security, you ascend up an elevator to the Warriors facilities. Then, you take a stride down a lengthy hallway with various Warrior legends like Al Attles, Rick Barry and Tim Hardaway plastered along the walls. Eventually, you get to a pair of doors that access the practice court.

I'll never forget the first time I entered those doors. It was like seeing the light. All yellow everything. White and yellow practice gear. White and yellow all on the walls. And in the center of it all: Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson going at it in a three-point shooting competition.

SWISH

SWISH

SWISH

A trusted media confidant was watching intently and I asked him what was happening. "Two points for a swish, one point for a made shot, zero points for a miss. First to 21 wins. This is the fifth game."

It's the type of game only the elite of the elite can play. If my friends and I tried to play that game, it'd take an hour to finish. It's like watching two Iron Chefs battle to create a five-course meal, but the secret ingredient is something absurd like squid.

SWISH

SWISH

rattle-rattle-swish (yelling ensues after a made shot that rattles in)

The shooting exploits of Curry and Thompson are well known at this point. There are some who believe they are the greatest shooting backcourt of all time, which they very well might be. The Splash Brothers' run of perimeter excellence is unprecedented. It's reached a new level because Curry's unrelenting barrage of long-range shooting is now matched by Thompson's flawless form from beyond the arc.

But that's not all Klay can do anymore. Since he arrived in Oakland, he's exponentially grown by making gradual improvements. He operates with an economy of motion and no wasted movements. He's efficient, direct and simple, which is the opposite of Curry's crafty, nuanced and deceptive game. Those who question whether Curry is actually capable of being the floor general for the Warriors or if Thompson should really be guarding point guards fail to realize the answer: Each brings the best out of the other.

Curry might have the amplified status, but Thompson is the linchpin.

I always wonder about those shooting competitions, both public and private. The conversations. The observations. Learning the details and the nuance of shooting. There are few things more humbling than thinking you're really good at something, then being confronted by someone who's even better than you are at it. That experience can make some players cower, but for others, it sharpens them.

It has sharpened Klay Thompson. Curry might have the amplified status, but Thompson is the linchpin. He's like a heavy rainstorm with occasional instances of thunderclaps and lightning.

Thompson, like the rain, is always a constant force. Opposing teams just hope to not hear the thunder and be struck by the lightning too often.

All illustrations in this series were done by Harrison Freeman. Click here to view his portfolio. Also see our pieces on Anthony Davis and Pau and Marc Gasol.