1. Klay Thompson
Age: 26
2015-2016 Season Averages: 22.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals
Shooting Percentages: .470/.425/.873
Klay Thompson is the best two-way guard in the NBA.
Thompson has the prettiest jump shot that I have ever seen. He shoots at an insane percentage from three and shows up big in big games. Golden State doesn’t even reach the NBA Finals this season without Thompson’s Game 6 performance at OKC. Maybe the Warriors don’t land Kevin Durant without that performance either.
Thompson’s 3-point shooting is legendary and he will go down as one of the best perimeter shooters ever. But he has a complete offensive game. He is a big guard at 6-7 and bullies opponents inside and out. If you pinch on him on the outside, he will blow by you to the rim and finish strong. Even on the stacked Warriors team, Thompson could go for 40 on any given night. He is that good. He makes scoring from the perimeter look so effortless and he is one of the 10 best players in the NBA. If he were on another team, he could average 30 points per game. Easily.
On defense, Thompson can guard absolutely anyone. Even though he doesn’t rack up steals, he doesn’t get beaten either. Thompson uses his length to guard a variety of players and positions. If he’s the best scorer on an opposing team and isn’t a big man, Thompson is on it. He is a menace on defense and can go all game on elite scorers. He might be the best defensive guard in the league. If I need one man to get one stop in crunch time, I’m taking Thompson.
The Golden State Warriors are stacked, yes. But Thompson is the glue that holds the team together. His unselfish play paves the way for Durant to come aboard without issue and still allow Steph Curry to get his. Some may point to Harden’s numbers as reason for making him their no. 1. But when watching the game, there is no player at his position better than Klay Thompson.
Next: The Top 10 Point Guards in the NBA
He’s headed for the Hall of Fame and there is no doubt about it.