Projected Averages for Klay Thompson

April 12, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots the ball over Dallas Mavericks power forward Brandan Wright (34) during the fourth quarter at ORACLE Arena. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Klay Thompson is that rookie that we all loved. Now, he’s a more mature sophomore player. Many say that fans are expecting too much out of the youngling, but I think he is more than capable of filling most of the gap in scoring that Monta Ellis left. The Warriors are lucky to have drafted him with the 11th pick. His sophomore year is only going to be better.

Points: Klay Thompson is a pure scorer and an incredible shooter. He knows where his place is. I think that he will be creating more this year on his way to the basket. Because of this, his offensive game will open up more, and defenders will not only have to honor him at the 3 point line, but also heading to the basket. I predict Thompson will average around 17.3 PPG.

Assists: Klay wasn’t known as much of an assist guy last season, but often, he did end up having 7 or 8 assists. That could easily be an average with the shooting skill of players on the Warriors’ roster, but it’s not likely. He will only average around 2.6 Assists per game.

Rebounds: Standing at 6’7, Thompson is more than adequate to play the SG position. He’s a tough player, and should be getting a lot of rebounds. Other shooting guards in the league like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant are shorter than Klay. He doesn’t have incredible hops, but he should still be active on the glass. I predict he will average around 4.6 Rebounds per game.

Steals: Thompson is a good perimeter defender, as well as on the post. He doesn’t have quick hands, but he plays smartly on the defensive end. That’s probably going to get him some steals. I project his averages to be at about 0.8 or 0.9.

Turnovers: A catch and shoot player like Thompson doesn’t turn the ball over a lot. He may, however, begin to turn the ball over more on the inside if he begins driving. It’ll be a good thing that he gets to the basket and scores, but also a bad thing as he could turn the ball over a lot. Because of this, and rookie mistakes, I think he’ll be at about 3 TO’s per game, which is terrible.

On an unrelated note, the Warriors will be able to rely on Thompson for 48 minutes. Although he’s only a rookie, LeBron and Kobe have both developed respect for him. That proves something. After a Vegas match between Team USA, and the Rookie Team, Klay Thompson was covered in welts and sweat. That’s what a guy who never gives up looks like.