Klay Thompson makes one half of "The Splash Brothers" in Oakland. Thompson and teammate Steph Curry have been deemed the best backcourt in the league by most. Former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson took it one step further and labeled them the “greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game.” Curry has definitely made an impression on the league and is considered an upper echelon player, but can the same be said about Klay Thompson?
The blockbuster trade that didn’t happen
The Warriors were one of the few teams that had a real shot at acquiring Kevin Love, but it was going to come at a huge price. Klay Thompson, 24 years old, was the center piece in that rumored trade. In the end, the trade didn’t go down, because ultimately, the Warriors didn’t want Thompson included in the deal. This goes to prove how the front office feels about Thompson’s potential.
Love or Klay?
The unfair fact about the upcoming season for Klay is that regardless of how well he plays, he’ll be compared with Love. There’s no denying that Kevin Love is a superstar in this league. Love's combination of outside shooting and elite rebounding ability is something the Warriors would love to have. However, separating a young and elite shooting backcourt would have been a giant mistake in the long run.
It’s not just about his three–point shooting abilities. Klay Thompson is an excellent ball handler and has a great size for a guard. This allows him to be effective close to the hoop and also to be capable of effectively defending dangerous opponents in the perimeter. The truth is that Thompson seems to be getting better season after season.
Underrated?
Klay was an integral part of Team USA in the FIBA Championships and was overshadowed at times by Kyrie Irving and Kenneth Faried, but may have been the most consistent player on the entire team. For the most part, he outplayed Curry, while ending the tournament second in points on the squad and second in minutes despite coming off the bench throughout. The Splash Brothers played well off of each other and forced defenses to play on the perimeter, which only opened up space for everyone else.
Bottom Line
There’s no doubt that Thompson is capable of taking the next step to NBA stardom, and we saw glimpses of that last season and during FIBA. Is now the time? If the Warriors plan on going deep into the playoffs and making a run, it will take more than just Stephen Curry. It will take both Splash Brothers to get it done. So, Klay Thompson will have a great chance to prove the Dubs made the right choice not trading him away.
Bottom line: The Golden State Warriors would have been a different team if the Splash Brothers got separated.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Ron of FantasyBasketballMoneyLeagues.com. For more NBA news and updates, visit Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues today.
The blockbuster trade that didn’t happen
The Warriors were one of the few teams that had a real shot at acquiring Kevin Love, but it was going to come at a huge price. Klay Thompson, 24 years old, was the center piece in that rumored trade. In the end, the trade didn’t go down, because ultimately, the Warriors didn’t want Thompson included in the deal. This goes to prove how the front office feels about Thompson’s potential.
Love or Klay?
The unfair fact about the upcoming season for Klay is that regardless of how well he plays, he’ll be compared with Love. There’s no denying that Kevin Love is a superstar in this league. Love's combination of outside shooting and elite rebounding ability is something the Warriors would love to have. However, separating a young and elite shooting backcourt would have been a giant mistake in the long run.
It’s not just about his three–point shooting abilities. Klay Thompson is an excellent ball handler and has a great size for a guard. This allows him to be effective close to the hoop and also to be capable of effectively defending dangerous opponents in the perimeter. The truth is that Thompson seems to be getting better season after season.
Underrated?
Klay was an integral part of Team USA in the FIBA Championships and was overshadowed at times by Kyrie Irving and Kenneth Faried, but may have been the most consistent player on the entire team. For the most part, he outplayed Curry, while ending the tournament second in points on the squad and second in minutes despite coming off the bench throughout. The Splash Brothers played well off of each other and forced defenses to play on the perimeter, which only opened up space for everyone else.
Bottom Line
There’s no doubt that Thompson is capable of taking the next step to NBA stardom, and we saw glimpses of that last season and during FIBA. Is now the time? If the Warriors plan on going deep into the playoffs and making a run, it will take more than just Stephen Curry. It will take both Splash Brothers to get it done. So, Klay Thompson will have a great chance to prove the Dubs made the right choice not trading him away.
Bottom line: The Golden State Warriors would have been a different team if the Splash Brothers got separated.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Ron of FantasyBasketballMoneyLeagues.com. For more NBA news and updates, visit Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues today.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
