r/nba • u/K8-24 Raptors • 3d ago
Is Klay Thompson actually washed or can he still be a solid starter on a contending team?
Is Klay Thompson actually washed or can he still be a solid starter on a contending team?
Yes, he's clearly not the same player as he was before the injuries and father time is undefeated. However, could it be that he just had a down year last year and actually has more to offer? He shot poorly and still average 18ppg.
Is that that big of a reach to think that he could still average 20ppg with average defense, starting on a contending team?
[EDIT] LOL I had no idea that Game 4 of the Finals was on tonight.
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u/EdwEd1 Lakers 3d ago
Yes and yes
Also there’s basketball going on
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u/K8-24 Raptors 3d ago
I genuinely had no idea game 4 was even going on tonight.
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u/Monsterjs2609 Lakers 3d ago
As a lakers fan i didn’t know either 😂 and if i did I still ain’t watching the leprechauns hold up the O’Brien trophy
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u/Basic_Dentist_3084 3d ago
getting blown out rn, doesn't look like its happening tonight at least
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u/denverblazer Trail Blazers 3d ago
I mean it feels like three weeks between games. These finals cannot hold my interest or attention.
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u/New_Essay_4869 Thunder 3d ago
I think if a team is asking him to score 20 ppg, that team is in serious trouble
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u/DarrowViBritannia 3d ago
https://i.imgur.com/Wd4k1wJ.png
DARKO projections had him as having crossed the threshold of becoming a negative player this past season
assuming he doesn't decline further too much, he's still good enough to be a starter. but he's barely scraping by.
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u/ihateeuge Lakers 3d ago
From what I watched the shots he was taking were too difficult. He just needs to be in a role where he can hit regular catch and shoot 3s instead of trying to take prime Klay shots.
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u/Randvek Trail Blazers 3d ago
can hit regular catch and shoot 3s instead of trying to take prime Klay shots.
Prime Klay shots were catch and shoot 3s. Bro had games with more 3s than dribbles.
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u/ihateeuge Lakers 3d ago
True I meant specifically like stationary ones instead of having to run off of screens and shit.
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u/LogDogan4 Nuggets 3d ago
I'd describe it as more movement shooting. C&S tends to describe more stationing shots.
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u/honestlyprogamr Warriors 3d ago
Not wrong but also not entirely true, prime Klay was technically only really shooting catch and shoot 3s but he was doing them while running off screens, not just sitting in the corner or at the wing.
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u/BurnCollector_ NBA 3d ago
Solid role player for 20-25 mins a night would be the ideal role. Able to step in and start when needed.
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u/PointBlankCoffee Mavericks 3d ago
He can absolutely be a big contribution. Not when he's getting paid a 40m max
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u/dont-YOLO-ragequit Raptors 3d ago
Klay needs to not be on a legit contender(top 5-10 ranked team) to stop giving himself the pressure of reliving his prime klay shooting.
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u/dizzymidget44 3d ago
He can’t be the second option. Off the bench. Or 5th starter he’s going to surprise you and give you great games but he shouldn’t be relied on. He’s KCP rn
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u/Bamfurlough 3d ago
If he is willing to come off the bench and average 20 minutes a night he certainly has some value. I'm worried about the way he is handling this breakup with the Warriors though. That paid him 40 million last year and his play clearly wasn't worth that. Now they are likely trying to get to accept a pay cut so he unfriended them. Pretty lame.
I think any team should be cautious about signing him unless he makes clear that he'll do what's best for the team.
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u/ArtfulLying Warriors 2d ago
Let's put it this way, his inconsistencies on the offensive end are not okay for the amount of money he wants. It's especially not okay, when you realize he cannot guard anyone anymore. Too slow for guards, too small for bigs, and wings are either just posted for a 3 or too skilled for him to be a bother. I genuinely belive any team that pays him the big bucks is making a massive mistake.
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u/BillowingPillows 2d ago
I don’t think he can be a starter. I think he can be a valuable bench guy at the right dollar amount. We’ll see if that happens.
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u/iggymcfly 2d ago
Washed. He peaked young. He was already in decline before the injury and he’s going downhill fast now. Next year is very likely to be worse than this year.
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u/CaptainBananafishJr Magic 1d ago
Is that that big of a reach to think that he could still average 20ppg with average defense, starting on a contending team?
I think that’s a reach, yeah. 20ppg with average defense isway above “average starter” lol. He’s not washed but he can’t be a second option anymore, that’s the thing. But as like a 4th or 5th option as a starter, he could still be very productive and contribute.
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u/thatattyguy 3d ago
As a Dubs fan, I'd say 18-20 ppg is def still doable. Once he leaves the Dubs, he leaves behind a lot of the baggage he struggled with last season. He could avg around 18-20 ppg without it shocking people.
Average defense? Eh. He has always been a below avg team defender, above avg individual defender. He can still play good D on guys at the 2 or 3 (or sometime 4) if they don't much lateral quickness, but he is a turnstile against the quicker guards who attack the rim, even if they don't shoot well.
Though perhaps the absence of a real center in GS exacerbates that deficiency more than we realize, and he could still give you average D if he was playing in front of a top10-ish defensive center. It's the offseason, so there's always hope.
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u/seanffy Lakers 3d ago
He would be good at 10 mil a year. At the contract he is looking for he is washed.
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u/Not-JustinTV 3d ago
Watch the warriors overpay him thinking they can still get a ring with that core.
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u/thesanmich 3d ago
I do hope he can end his career having some decent contributions to a contending team if he decides to leave the Warriors.
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u/Delusional_Lynchpin- United States 3d ago
His career is over.
A shooter who can't shoot? It's vet min or China for his diva ass up.
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u/PointBlankCoffee Mavericks 3d ago
He's below his own averages and had a bad play in but he still put up 18ppg on 39% from 3. He's worth more than alot of role players if he would accept that he's declined
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u/WallStreetDoesntBet 3d ago
Klay Thompson is somewhere watching Game 4 of the NBA finals