HoopsHype came out with a list of the top-25 shooting guards, and Klay Thompson, while on the list, was far lower than expected.
The Warriors’ five-time All-Star guard came in at No. 13, below both Jordan Poole and Tyler Herro. Thompson missed two straight seasons, so there are some expectations that regression from his normal mean could happen.
The Warriors are coming off an NBA Championship, and Klay Thompson was a key piece. HoopsHype doesn’t think he’s a top-12 shooting guard.
However, he showed enough during the last half of the season to still be considered an elite option and proved that as he sent several teams home with his big-time performances in the playoffs. He averaged over 22 points per game in close-out games.
HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina composed the list after the site ran through the league’s top point guards. Here’s a fraction of what he wrote on Thompson.
“That Klay Thompson was able to play at all in 2021-22 was impressive enough after back-to-back devastating leg injuries cost him years of his career. That he was able to put up the numbers he did as a full-time starter on the eventual NBA champions, though?
“That was nothing short of incredible,” Urbina wrote.
Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell topped the list at No. 1 and No. 2.
Thompson came in at No. 13 with Jordan Poole and Tyler Herro respectively ranked No. 11 and No. 12. Even at 32 years old, this seems a tad disrespectful for Thompson, especially considering the defensive weaknesses that both Poole and Herro had on display during the postseason.
Couple that with Thompson’s elite performances in close-out games in the playoffs, and it would be reasonable to still think he’s a top-ten option at both. Thompson averaged 20.4 points per game last season, playing and starting in 32.
Coming off a torn ACL and then a torn Achilles, there is reason to believe he may relapse, but his shooting is a key factor in why he could still top 20 points per game.
Thompson shot a career-low 38.5% from deep. His shooting from the field was also below his career numbers. Both should improve this coming season and were held consistent when Thompson and the Warriors went into the postseason.
Thompson was a key piece of the Warriors championship run, and his importance to the organization being crowned champions should count for something. They clearly don’t, especially when players like Herro are higher than him in these rankings.
While many make sense, CJ McCollum and Tyrese Maxey are another few names that have soared past Thompson. The Warriors’ guard isn’t as athletic as he once was, but the disrespect for the star is real here.