Klay Thompson Selected As 2015 NBA All-Star Reserve

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors has reportedly been selected by NBA coaches as a 2015 All-Star Reserve.

Many may recall that Thompson had been a central piece in offseason trade rumors for Kevin Love (now a Cleveland Cavalier), but there’s no denying that the 6-foot-7-inch sharpshooting off-guard is having a career season and an All-Star worthy year. His teammates certainly support him and believe he should be an All-Star this season, as does his coach, Steve Kerr.

"“Klay deserves it,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “I’ve always felt, long before I came to Golden State, that the best teams deserve the benefit of the doubt. If there are two players who are equally deserving, and one team is (36-7) and the other isn’t, then you reward winning. That’s the whole point of why we’re here. We’re competing.“Players who put up stats are really good. Players who put up stats and help their teams win a ton of games are All-Stars. That should absolutely put Klay in the game. I don’t know how a team with our record can have only one All-Star. That would seem criminal.”"

Kerr, who has helped coached the best team in the NBA to a record of 36-7 in his inaugural year as Warriors head coach, will coach the West All-Star team at Madison Square Garden in New York City for All-Star Weekend.

Kerr will have to make the difficult decision on who to replace Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant as an All-Star Starter. While Houston Rockets All-Star James Harden is a leading MVP-candidate this season and reportedly also an All-Star Reserve, some believe Kerr should choose Thompson to replace the injured starter.

Stephen Curry, who was voted an All-Star Starter by the fans, also supported the notion that Thompson should be an All-Star.

"“Shoot, obviously the coaches understand what he’s done for our team,” Curry said. “He’s pitched himself very nicely. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be on that team. From the league standpoint, there’s an understanding that he’s the best 2-guard in the league on both sides of the ball.”"

Now that Thompson has been selected as an All-Star reserve by the coaches, Curry may very well see his fellow “Splash Brother” start alongside him in the All-Star game.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

But before the two join forces in the All-Star backcourt, they will be pitted against one another as contestants of the NBA’s Three-Point Shooting Contest.

Curry, who’s averaging 22.8 points on 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 39.1 percent from long, will certainly be looking to take home the trophy after falling short last year in his first All-Star season.

Thompson, however, set his sights strictly on making the All-Star team. After a 52-point performance against the Sacramento Kings in which he scored a record 37-points in the third quarter, Thompson stated he would’ve been really proud of himself were he chosen to be an All-Star.

"“It would be a great feat,” Thompson said. “I would be proud of myself, I’m not going to lie. Coming into this league, even though I was a lottery pick, a lot of people didn’t see me becoming an All-Star one day or even a starter."

Now that kid that people didn’t see becoming an All-Star has risen to become one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. Who would have thought?

Thompson is currently averaging a career-high 23.0 points to go with 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks on an incredibly impressive 48.1 percent shooting from the field, 45.6 percent shooting from behind the arc.

This is the 24-year-old’s first All-Star selection of his career.

The 2015 NBA All-Star game is set for Feb. 15, and the NBA Three-Point contest will occur the day prior to the All-Star game.

Next: Warriors' Midseason Report Card