So Summer 2014 happened, and Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson didn’t go to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love after all. Only time will tell if the Warriors’ management made the right decision, but I believe it was a great move for them to not make a move at all. This means that they really trust the 24-year-old guard to be part of a core group that could lead the Bay Area team to championship glory. But with his contract expiring at the end of this season, the question is not be whether they trust him. They established that by passing on a potential Love trade. Instead, the question is how much do they trust him. How much is Klay Thompson worth?
The short answer is “a lot.” Let me explain. First, Thompson’s three-point shooting, coupled with backcourt mate Stephen Curry’s marksmanship, provides the Warriors with a unique backcourt, one that stands out from any other in the league. Trading Thompson would leave Curry as the only threat from behind the arc. They both shoot the ball so well that Mark Jackson’s offense was partly dependent on the duo’s special ability. Imagine how much more effective they will both be in new coach Steve Kerr’s more fluid offense.
This brings us to the next point: Klay Thompson has been looking like an All-Star in the preseason. But an All-Star doesn’t just jack up threes, though. Thompson has been doing it all so far: moving extremely well off the ball, slashing, passing and creating his own shot. Playing with other young stars on Team USA this summer appears to have helped him up his game. A new coach implementing a new system has offered Thompson so much more room to grow, even with only a handful of games played thus far. The former Bulls guard-turned-coach seems to have a plan for Thompson to be a key component of how he runs things, and preseason games have shown just that.
We know Klay Thompson excels at shooting, but he has shown flashes of a broader skill set than just shooting the ball well. Perhaps the most important asset that the guard boasts is his defense. Maybe people made it bigger than it really is and started to label him as overrated on the other side of the ball. But make no mistake, Thompson’s ability to defend is indispensable to a Warriors squad that hopes to progress further in the playoffs than last year. He hides Curry’s lackluster defense tremendously well (Curry’s above-average amount of steals does not mean great defense). Thompson’s capabilities take huge pressure off of another defensive ace in Andre Iguodala. Thompson’s two-way basketball talent can even propel him into the top-5 shooting guard conversation this season. He might even best Harden in terms of defending the ball, though Harden sits alone at the top in what he can do offensively.
Having Klay Thompson around on a rookie contract has been a huge blessing in disguise. He has grown more and more into a complete player each season, and the Warriors better repay him with the money he deserves. I’m not sure if he deserves a maximum deal at the moment, but he has definitely proved that he is invaluable to the franchise. He may even play like a max-contract player this upcoming season. Not doing Thompson right might cause him to leave for an organization that does respect his game and talents.
Photo Credits: Getty Images
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