Klay Thompson: I'm the best shooting guard in the NBA

That championships-won, while a great way to measure a team, are a terrible way to measure an individual player.

 

While I agree with you, my previous comment was taken out of context. I explained it in my succeeding comments. I hope it's clear. It's not because of the championship ring that makes Klay better. It's the "why" he has a championship ring and that ring is the proof.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spurs tried to trade up in 2011 NBA Draft to select Warriors' Klay Thompson <a href="https://t.co/A6wfPI5qdZ">https://t.co/A6wfPI5qdZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSpursGo?src=hash">#GoSpursGo</a></p>&mdash; News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) <a href="https://twitter.com/News4SA/status/740214353706651648">June 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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So Harden needs to play with the league MVP and a top 2 DPOY finisher (and a bunch of solid role players) and win a championship to prove he is equal to Klay. Makes sense.

 

You take Leonard over Thompson every time. Nothing to regret with that.

 

Zach Lowe article on Klay Thompson:

Link

 

If you are the Kings, you take Jimmer over both of them

 

I disagree, without using the hindsight glasses. In hindsight.. sure. But if I put myself back there, no. If I put myself back there, though, I do recognize that both slid more than they should have, but perhaps Klay even more-so. I still can't figure out how he wasn't ranked higher. I know I was high on him. Great size as a two guard. Showed to be a more than competent defender. Crazy good shooting and scoring in college, in volume, and from the three. All the size and athleticism intangibles.

I can understand Kwahi positioning, because they guy wasn't close to complete as an offensive player, and there were serious questions he'd ever get there. Didn't have the best handle. Didn't have a great shot. Huge freaking hands to scare you off from thinking he'd ever get there shooting wise.

The fact that Kwahi has become the offensive player he has is a real testament to his work ethic.

As much as I love this question as a fan of Harden, I also think its pointless. Who cares how overmatched Klay might look as the clear primary offensive creator on a team? It's relevant if that was his role on say the 76ers. But it's not just GSW that has a good point guard and offense. Lots of NBA teams have offensive players. Klay wouldn't be nearly as ubiquitously prolific offensively on every NBA team as Harden, but he'd still be really f'ing good on a good majority of NBA teams.

And regarding the defense comments, Lowe is on point. He's not amazing defensively, especially off-ball, but he can be really good on-ball, and is able to switch so much because of that and his size. he's definitely a defense plus player.

Player vs. Player, I still take Harden. But when building an NBA team, recognizing that there are 5 players plus a bench required, etc.... say if I was in a "snake draft", I'd probably prefer someone else pick Harden first as the SG, and have the opportunity to pick Klay later and snake back and get my second best player before the guy who picked Harden. Make sense?

 

So Thompson needs Curry?


But didn't Thompson drop 40 on us without Curry while outscoring Harden

 

To be fair, Lowe does explore the question of Harden and Thompson, I was just posting an excerpt. It's interesting. I think Harden is the superior offensive player, but I think it's closer than people who say, "Thompson just catches and shoots, he could never do what Harden does." Thompson hasn't had to do what Harden does but, as Lowe notes, that are signs than Thompson is improving quite a bit as a ball-handler and passer and Houston would use a completely different system if they were building around Thompson rather than Harden.

And then when you factor in defense, the comparison becomes closer still.

 

Take away Thompson's elite supporting cast and coaching staff, or give Harden that stuff as well, then we'd really know. It is close, as Thompson is very good, but he also has twice the help Harden does, which matters.

 

One on one, I'd pick Harden. For a team, I'd choose Klay.

San Antonio should have no regrets in picking Kawhi. They've won a championship because of him. Could they say the same if they had Thompson instead? Doubt it, but it's certainly possible and fun to think about.

 

Would Klay just be another Glen Rice on his own team?

 

Would Klay Thompson be, as Lowe suggests, similar to a Ray Allen on his own team?

Or maybe a Reggie Miller with better defense?

It's a fun discussion because we'll (probably) never know. He's a pretty nice luxury for the Warriors, though, and they have to love that he's improving the non-shooting aspects of his game.

 

I see him as Glen Rice.
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I don't know why it's not showing Glen Rice's stats in comparison next to Klays. But anyway, just look them up. Extremely similar career stats. Very similar shooting form. Similar off the screen type of player. Both supposed to be same height and weight, but Glen Rice looks bigger and stronger looking to me.

 

Yeah, and then he goes on to make stupid errors about how the team is built this way (the players and their skillsets) because Harden is the way he is. That's utterly stupid.

 

Yeah, teams never build around the strengths of their best player. Dumb.

 

Klay is a good piece in an ensemble. Harden is not.

Can you imagine the Warriors trying to fit Harden into their lineup? What a waste that would be for the 4 guys to just stand around while Harden "does his thing". It was the same way in OKC. There's a good reason why Harden came off the bench. Harden is great as long as he's the focal point of an offense. But if he has to share the ball with Durant & Westbrooks, its a different story.

Klay doesn't have that problem. The Warriors are much, much better with him than they would be with Harden. Can you even imagine having both Curry & Harden as the defenders in the back court?