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

Thompson plays very similarly to prime Kevin Martin, minus the reliance on drawing fouls. They are both talented scorers, they can really pour it on, but there are clearly limits to their game. They don't create for others, ballhandling isn't great, and their amazing offense isn't reliable outside of their normal flow. GS never calls Thompson's number in the clutch. Obviously, that's Curry's job so Thompson isn't going to get many opportunities, but he wouldn't be good at it. Harden was closing games in OKC because he could clearly generate a good shot, either for himself or for a teammate. To have your number called while playing with Westbrook and Durant is amazing.

Thompson is an elite 1 on 1 defender and a bonafide all-star, but does that make up for his lack of creativity on offense? Does it put him on the level of someone like Ray Allen, who was a pedestrian defender most of his career? Hell no. Ray Allen was a top dog: 1a and 1b. Scorer and creator. Harden is a 1a and 1b. Thompson isn't even a 1. Ginobili would be a better franchise player than Thompson.

 

Yep - that's the single most damning stat that Klay benefits greatly from his teammates (one in particular).

Still, you can't take away his December so far, he's shooting the lights out 27 ppg, nearly 70% TS with 47% from 3. Of course he feels unstoppable right now.

The law of averages says he's due for a slump too, as he's so far above his norm right now that he couldn't possibly maintain this unless he magically reinvented himself mid-season. Let's see how he feels then.

 

Just because you live in the bay area and you get their feed, doesn't make you more of an expert on the Warriors esp if you are claiming that GSW's sheme doesn't require high bball iq and that Klay is not only a bad defender but also a bad passer.

 

I wouldn't call him a bad passer but he definitely passes substantially less than his teammates (AST% 11.4% compared to Curry:30.9%, Green 28.2%, Bogut 15.2%, Iggy 16.9%). Only Barnes passes less (9.1%).

Still, look at that in a team context. They have two amazing passers in Green and Curry and a great passing big in Bogut. It's not necessary for Klay to be the playmaker. I also don't think that Klay could be that playmaker if he had to - i.e., as Harden does.

 

OK he benefits from Curry, but who's to say he wouldn't benefit from cp3, wall, lillard,Lowry, etc????


In other words, Klay is a really good off the ball guy if you pair him with a good distributer. Not sure how this is such a bad thing. It's a team sport

 

Klay Thompson is a better SG.

Harden is a better combo guard.

End of.

 

Not implying that's a bad thing. He's a no brainer All-Star and at worst, the third best SG in the league after Butler and Harden. In the context of the Warriors, he's the perfect SG - an accurate volume shooter who can defend. He might benefit to some extent from some of those guys but don't forget that all the added attention Curry draws frees Klay up a ton to get open looks. He's in the perfect system to thrive and he's exactly what they need at 2.

But none of that means that you can build a franchise around him because he's the best 2 in the league.

 

Agreed. His role right now on the team isn't to be a playmaker/passer so I hope people don't put much thought into his low passing numbers. His role is to shoot and he is doing a fine good job at it.

I don't think he is the best SG in the game, but he is one of the best complimentary players in the league that almost any team would love to have. I think if he were to leave GS and try to be top dog on a team, I think he has the right skill set to make some noise in the league. MVP level? Probably not but I think he could be in top 5 SG discussions almost every season.

 

As you said he's not a bad passer, and also not being able to be the playmaker of a team doesn't make one a bad passer.

Oh he's d better than Butler. imo.
Butler is a far worse shooter , he can't play his team system well because he goes away from it by isoing too much and takes bad shots often.

 

Do they have Curry's numbers without Klay? Just out of curiosity.

 

You are way off base .

Butler and Harden are both clearly better than Klay.

Klay is a system player who is shining because he is in the perfect role for him.

You simply cannot compare system guys to guys who have to carry offenses.

 

I think Pops and Kawhi might settle this debate.

If Kawhi guards Harden on XMas day, but continues to put Kawhi on Harrison Barnes (as he did last year), then that is probably a good indication that Pops is fine not putting the best wing defender in the league on the best SG in the league.

Yeah, sure we can say more SGs can guard Ariza vs Barnes (marginally acceptable argument). But it's not like Danny Green is an exploitable mismatch on Barnes in the Spurs defense. Kawhi in the Spurs offense is arguable the SG right now, anyhow, and Green stays around the arc. Pops will only switch Kawhi to SG on defense when it's really needed.

 

Of course this role could be a replicated easily on many teams.

He could play here in place of Ariza, play alongside Chris Paul next to John Wall, etc.

The implication that Klay can't have the same success on other teams is misleading IMO.

 

To me Butler is a far better defender and despite being a less accurate shooter, he's a better playmaker than Klay. I think Klay wins some ground on offense due to much better shooting, but Butler more than makes up for that defensively. Butler may be the best defensive 2 guard in the league. Don't forget Butler's role is much bigger on the Bulls than Klay's on the Dubs and is a bit closer to Harden's in Houston given that Derrick Rose looks like he barely belongs in the league on about 80% of possessions. The caveat with that statement is that Rose still brings the ball up on the court and despite the complete collapse of his shooting and defense, he can still pass the ball relatively well.

 

Or, it might be because Kawhi is needed to cover Curry part-time in half court sets, sort of the way we used Ariza against Paul. Not sure that that's going to make or break this argument.

 

Its also because they have different games. Harden is more phisical and handle the ball a lot ( kwahi shines on on-ball defense). Klay will burn kwahi energies making him run in circles around screens, and green is probably better suitted for that job, since he is a bit smaller and mobile. So for pop its almost the same, but he gets to rest kwahi on the defensive side until he switches onto steph.

 

I would like to tell me that system that makes one to become such a good shooter and defender as Klay. I want to have this in both of my teams and turn them in so good shooters and defenders.

I suppose you think that Kawhi is also a system player right?....

Except that last year second half, BUTLER WAS WORSE IN DEFENCE than in first half because of the burden in offence.He even said it so himself.
And He doesn't make it up with defence to Klay, because their defence is not so much separate.
And Butler is unable to be a good playmaker or play with his coach system that requires to play with pace and move the ball fast...oh and shoot.
Rose sucks I agree. He's horrible and he should be waived.
But, Butler too goes away from Hoidball tho. Not just Rose. Makes the ball sticky.

Do many people here watch the Bulls a lot?

 

I dont' have insider. Maybe someone else who has can see and post it.

 

I've watched a few games and agree with you that Butler isn't suited for a ultra-fast pace, he's more of a half court SG. I would contest, despite Butler's own words, that Butler was horrible defensively in the first half of last year. He definitely improved in the second half but he wasn't awful in the first half. The first half numbers are comparable to Harden's last year, with the exception of a bad January. His post-ASB numbers are better. But this year, his numbers are pretty excellent defensively.

2014-5

November 125 106
December 126 106
January 117 109
February 120 101
March 126 104
April 122 102

2015-6

October 125 94
November 110 100
December 114 102

Klay isn't nearly as good defensively in 15-16 as Butler.

 

malakas, I just read your post properly. I think you can see that in fact, the pattern that you see is that Butler was even better in the second half than the first in 14-15.