Ranking Important Aspects In Klay Thompson’s Trade Value

Mar 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson talks to Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone loves Klay Thompson. He has been steadily improving in various aspects of the game, as he said he would. Although he is one of the Warriors’ most important players, there are some issues he needs to fix. But he also has plenty of up-sides.

Many believe that his trade value has sky-rocketed this past year, but there are plenty of negative sides to him. Can the Warriors claim Kevin Love to go with the departure of Thompson?

Cons of trading:

1. Loss of Shooting Touch:

Thompson is one of the best shooters I’ve seen in a while. He has a sweet stroke that finds the bottom of the net. Mark Jackson said that he will never tell Thompson to stop shooting, and when he’s on fire, he knows it. Hitting from 20 feet, 23 feet, 25 feet, even 30 feet, Klay Thompson knows how to find the bottom of the net, with a quick release. He’s even garnered praise from LeBron James as one of the up and coming superstars.

2. Loss of Elite Defense:

Another one of Thompson’s strengths is his defensive ability. On the perimeter, guys like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade sometimes struggle to get their shots off, and Thompson is playing them really well. He was even assigned the task of Kevin Durant, a guy who is a couple inches taller than him. Durant does score over 30 points, but Thompson frustrated him into very difficult shots. He moves his feet well, gets in the passing lane, denies the ball, and gets blocks. He’s an ideal defender.

3. He is going to be great: 

The best thing about Thompson? When I see him play, there is a ridiculous amount of potential that he shows. He and Stephen Curry, the other Splash Brother, have yet to reach their sky, and are not even close yet. Curry is just entering the prime of his game. This means he will develop better passing ability. That means that Thompson is going to get even more shots from the field. When he’s having a bad day, he has recently started driving to the basket more.

Pros:

1. No Poor Decision Making:

Unfortunately for Thompson, he struggles with decision making. When it’s a 2v1 fast-break, you’re supposed to drive the ball, not pull up from 30 feet away. Also, when coming off of screens, he dumps it to the roller, David Lee. Not saying this is bad, but sometimes his passes are off-target, and it creates turnovers. I’m sure he would rather have a layup or two free throws than a turnover.

2. No Poor Shot Selection:

Thompson has the worst shot selection. When he’s cold, he will shoot 20 shots per night, and miss them all. The problem with him is that he doesn’t know when to stop. He is able to hit some big shots, but when he struggles, he really struggles. He continues to be inconsistent, and this may hurt the Warriors in the playoffs. He should be shooting an open 18 foot jumpshot over a contested, fading left three pointer.