Uh oh, Steven A. Smith just called Klay Thompson a better TWO WAY player than Kawhi!

[Keepin' it real]

Thoughts? Is he right or is he overreacting to game 6?

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Overreacting, but he is certainly better on offense than Leonard and only a couple notches worse on defense.

[aal04]

I think they are surprisingly similar, with obviously Kawhi better at D, and Klay at O.

Both arent franchise players but great pieces if surrounded.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

I think they are surprisingly similar, with obviously Kawhi better at D, and Klay at O.

Both arent franchise players but great pieces if surrounded.

This is the bitter truth Warriors fans are cool with but yet the SA fanbase stubbornly refuses to embrace for some reason. I don't get it?

[kobyz]

Last two playoff say he is...

[TheGoldStandard]

Overreacting to a really good game by Klay.. Klay is the better shooter but Kawhi does a lot more all around.. Give Kawhi two more seasons as the primary guy in San Antonio and we will see what's up.

[UZER]

Mouthpiece. That is all.

[Obstructed_View]

I'm trying to think of what SAS could be thinking of, but I'm coming up with nothing. Leonard is better player than Thompson in every way. I don't even think it's a close comparison. Kawhi is WAY better than he is.

[spurs10]

Well Kawhi is fishing and Klay is setting NBA records. Of course the narrative will about him.

[Joseph Kony]

Thompson is a good defensive player for sure, but he is not in Kawhi's class in that category. Obviously he is a great three point shooter but imo Kawhi has a wider array of moves on offense while Klay has a few that he is exceptional at. Kawhi's consistency will get there eventually I think

[cd98]

SAS overstating something? My take: Kawhi is a small forward and he can guard 1-4 positions and is a great rebounder for his position. Thompson is a shooting guard and he can't guard the best small forwards on the block. They only have him guarding shooting guards and point guards that Curry can't handle. How many great shooting guards are there? And if there aren't good small forwards, doesn't Igudola end up guarding the better shooting guards as well? And I don't think Thompson can guard Kawhi in the post, but I do think Thompson won't score 30 points and hit so many threes if he has Kawhi guarding him.

Better is so hard to measure. Would the Spurs be better with Klay at the two rather than Kawhi at the 3/4? Would GS be better w/ Kawhi at the 3/4 rather than Thompson? I say Kawhi w/ Warriors would be unbeatable in that swap.

[FkLA]

Just lol at people that think Klay is a better offensive player. Klay is just a very very good 3&D player. Kawhi is a pretty complete offensive player.

http://2static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Klay+thompson_05e9a7_5583132.jpg

[Tully365]

I think a big part of the equation & a big reason the Warriors have had so much success is they understand that the 3 point shot is not a novelty-- it's real weapon that needs to be used in modern basketball. Kawhi had a slightly better 3pt% than Klay this season (44.3% compared to 42.5%), but Klay put up 650 attempts compared to Kawhi's 291. The philosophy of the Warriors allows Klay to shoot as many 3s as he wants, but Kawhi shoots 3s sparingly...

[FkLA]

I think a big part of the equation & a big reason the Warriors have had so much success is they understand that the 3 point shot is not a novelty-- it's real weapon that needs to be used in modern basketball. Kawhi had a slightly better 3pt% than Klay this season (44.3% compared to 42.5%), but Klay put up 650 attempts compared to Kawhi's 291. The philosophy of the Warriors allows Klay to shoot as many 3s as he wants, but Kawhi shoots 3s sparingly...

I wouldn't call 4 3PT attempts per game 'sparingly'.

Klay is primarily a 3 PT shooter. Not like Steph either where he creates his own shot all the time, more like a spot-up shooter. Kawhi isn't. There's a lot more to his offensive arsenal than just being a spot-up shooter. You can run your offense through Kawhi. You can't run it through Klay or any other spot-up shooter.

[Tully365]

I wouldn't call 4 3PT attempts per game 'sparingly'.


He was 64th in attempts in the league despite leading the league in 3pt% for most of the season. By 1990s standards, 4 3ptFGA per game is a lot, but not today. http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/3-points/sort/threePointFieldGoalsAttempted/seasontype/2/qualified/false

I don't think Klay is better than Kawhi, but I think he's used more wisely in his system.

[Keepin' it real]

I agree that since Kawhi shoots 3s so well, the Spurs should significantly increase his number of 3 point shots. Just a couple more threes per game added to his improving overall game, and he'd easily average 26-28ppg. Add that to his D, and you've got an MVP.

[RD2191]

Maybe better offensively but no way in hell is he a better 2 way player than Kawhi.

[RD2191]

Just lol at people that think Klay is a better offensive player. Klay is just a very very good 3&D player. Kawhi is a pretty complete offensive player.

http://2static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Klay+thompson_05e9a7_5583132.jpg

:lol

[DPG21920]

Klay has shown me so much more these playoffs. With Curry out or hobbled he slid right in and carried the load. On both ends of the ball. He's created even when Curry was not there which is something I did not think he could do.

It's a lot closer than people think due to how potent Klays offense is and the impact that has. He's and odd player because he's not truly a creator of offense but he's a stud.

[tholdren]

SAS overstating something? My take: Kawhi is a small forward and he can guard 1-4 positions and is a great rebounder for his position. Thompson is a shooting guard and he can't guard the best small forwards on the block. They only have him guarding shooting guards and point guards that Curry can't handle. How many great shooting guards are there? And if there aren't good small forwards, doesn't Igudola end up guarding the better shooting guards as well? And I don't think Thompson can guard Kawhi in the post, but I do think Thompson won't score 30 points and hit so many threes if he has Kawhi guarding him.

Better is so hard to measure. Would the Spurs be better with Klay at the two rather than Kawhi at the 3/4? Would GS be better w/ Kawhi at the 3/4 rather than Thompson? I say Kawhi w/ Warriors would be unbeatable in that swap.


The Warriors would not be better with KL. PERIOD. They live and die by shooting a ton of shots on catch and shoot balls around the three point line. KL would kill that offense. Thompson is right where he should be. The real question would be, would be what would green look like on the warriors?

[G-Dawgg]

Klay Thompson is an elite level scorer. Kawhi is not. Kawhi is the better overall player. However scoring wise, lets put this in perspective. Kawhi has never in his career scored 40 points in a game. Thompson has scored 37 in a quarter...

[SupremeGuy]

Just lol at people that think Klay is a better offensive player. Klay is just a very very good 3&D player. Kawhi is a pretty complete offensive player.

http://2static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Klay+thompson_05e9a7_5583132.jpg:lol

[YGWHI]

Kawhi has never in his career scored 40 points in a game. Thompson has scored 37 in a quarter...

Kawhi has never scored 40 point in a game because when he has 33 in the 3rd quarter of a regular season game, Pop sits him.

Kerr lets his players on the floor with +18 lead in the 4th, like he did with Green and his triple double's this season.

[Kawhitstorm]

Both arent franchise players but great pieces if surrounded.

Klay plays w/ the best "gravity" guy in NBA history (Curry), the best playmaker at the 4 position (GayMond), the best point-forward coming off the bench (Iggy), the best backup PG in the league (Livingston) & one of the best passing centers (Bogut).

737098748296302592

[poeticism707]

GTFO Stephen A,

Blowing the new Lakers,

just like the old.

No surprise here...

[therealtruth]

Klay Thompson is an elite level scorer. Kawhi is not. Kawhi is the better overall player. However scoring wise, lets put this in perspective. Kawhi has never in his career scored 40 points in a game. Thompson has scored 37 in a quarter...

That's because he takes so many 3's. If Kawhi took more 3's he could do the same. He needs to take more instead of those long 2's.

[kobyz]

LOL all you homer fans, insist to ignore the resilience part when comparing between the two, Kawhi can't be the better player because lack of resilience, which Kawhi is the star player with the most lack of resilience where every time things getting tough he desapeer...

[hitmanyr2k]

LOL all you homer fans, insist to ignore the resilience part when comparing between the two, Kawhi can't be the better player because lack of resilience, which Kawhi is the star player with the most lack of resilience where every time things getting tough he desapeer...

You must have missed Klay Thompson during last year's Finals :lol

[YGWHI]

SAS said the same about Kawhi being the best two way player in the game after game 3 in OKC.

Hopefully he doesn't jix Klay now...


SAS overstating something? My take: Kawhi is a small forward and he can guard 1-4 positions and is a great rebounder for his position. Thompson is a shooting guard and he can't guard the best small forwards on the block. They only have him guarding shooting guards and point guards that Curry can't handle. How many great shooting guards are there? And if there aren't good small forwards, doesn't Igudola end up guarding the better shooting guards as well? And I don't think Thompson can guard Kawhi in the post, but I do think Thompson won't score 30 points and hit so many threes if he has Kawhi guarding him.

Better is so hard to measure. Would the Spurs be better with Klay at the two rather than Kawhi at the 3/4? Would GS be better w/ Kawhi at the 3/4 rather than Thompson? I say Kawhi w/ Warriors would be unbeatable in that swap.

In fact, Kawhi in the post against Thompson -and even Iguodala- was the only one thing that worked on Spurs offense against Warriors at the Oracle this regular season.

On the other end, Klay always looked bad against Kawhi, and Danny.

This season against the Spurs 33 minutes 13.5 points

Kawhi this season against GSW 34 minutes 19.3 points

[TheGreatYacht]

The Warriors have 3 players that are arguably better than Kawhi :lol

NBA= fucked

[cjw]

Klay is the king of assisted field goals. Led league in assisted FG this year. 8.9 catch and shoot attempts per game with Crowder / Aminu / Love / Ibaka / Redick / Bradley the only others above 6.0. Saw somewhere he took 43% of his shots without a defender within 6 feet compared to Wade at 26%. That's a credit to team plus his elite shooting.

Fifth lowest assist ratio among shooting guards (9.2) behind only Morrow, Kilpatrick, Wiggins and Redick. People here complain about Kawhi's passing but he was at a solid 12.2 - middle of pack for SFs. And Kawhi had a much lower turnover rate at 6.9 vs. 7.7. He's a one trick pony offensively.

Rebounding-wise - measure of a two way player - Klay was middle of pack at 6.2% of total rebounds. Kawhi's is near the top of SFs at 11.8 - tied with Lebron and slightly behind Durant, Greek Freak and Melo.

Klay had a negative dRPM (-0.69). Kawhi's was 7th in the league at 4.03, and the best non C/PF. Only guy above 3.0 both oRPM and dRPM.

Who guards the opponent's best player? Iggy. Is Klay one of the best shooters we've seen? Yes. But run of the mill outside of that.

But guess Steven A. is right

[Kawhitstorm]

Klay Thompson is an elite level scorer. Kawhi is not. Kawhi is the better overall player. However scoring wise, lets put this in perspective. Kawhi has never in his career scored 40 points in a game. Thompson has scored 37 in a quarter...

Klay Thompson is the best catch-and-shoot guy in the league that happens to plays very good defense while Kawhi is the best defender in the league that happens to be a very good scorer. Kawhi is actually better at finishing at the rim, creating his own shots off the dribble & posting up.

In any case, Kawhi had the best offensive season for an elite defender: Is the only player in NBA HISTORY to post a defensive rating of 96 & an offensive rating of at least 121 (min. 30 MPG): http://bkref.com/tiny/D7NV6

[YGWHI]

Klay is the king of assisted field goals. Led league in assisted FG this year. 8.9 catch and shoot attempts per game with Crowder / Aminu / Love / Ibaka / Redick / Bradley the only others above 6.0. Saw somewhere he took 43% of his shots without a defender within 6 feet compared to Wade at 26%. That's a credit to team plus his elite shooting.

Fifth lowest assist ratio among shooting guards (9.2) behind only Morrow, Kilpatrick, Wiggins and Redick. People here complain about Kawhi's passing but he was at a solid 12.2 - middle of pack for SFs. And Kawhi had a much lower turnover rate at 6.9 vs. 7.7. He's a one trick pony offensively.

Rebounding-wise - measure of a two way player - Klay was middle of pack at 6.2% of total rebounds. Kawhi's is near the top of SFs at 11.8 - tied with Lebron and slightly behind Durant, Greek Freak and Melo.

Klay had a negative dRPM (-0.69). Kawhi's was 7th in the league at 4.03, and the best non C/PF. Only guy above 3.0 both oRPM and dRPM.

Who guards the opponent's best player? Iggy. Is Klay one of the best shooters we've seen? Yes. But run of the mill outside of that.

But guess Steven A. is right

:tu



This is the bitter truth Warriors fans are cool with but yet the SA fanbase stubbornly refuses to embrace for some reason. I don't get it?
Well, there is a difference, Kawhi is the best Spurs player and Pop already called him the face of the franchise, while Klay is the 2nd best player on his team.


The Warriors have 3 players that are arguably better than Kawhi :lol

NBA= fucked

Just MVP Curry, but it's worrisome that Curry-Klay-Draymond are under 28, while Kawhi's the only elite Spur under 25.

[YGWHI]

In any case, Kawhi had the best offensive season for an elite defender: Is the only player in NBA HISTORY to post a defensive rating of 96 & an offensive rating of at least 121 (min. 30 MPG): http://bkref.com/tiny/D7NV6

Impressive numbers like his FG/3P/FTs shooting this regular season.

[Kawhitstorm]

The Warriors have 3 players that are arguably better than Kawhi :lol

One thing is for sure, Klay doesn't want any part of Kawhi after he put him in a straightjacket in 2013 when Pop made the switch (Danny/Curry; Kawhi/Klay; Porker/Barnes) following his Gm 2 explosion.

He also completely dominated the Splash Whores last season in the "Kawhi" game & has outplayed Klay in every game this season including losses despite Klay being guarded by Porker/Fatty on switches::lol

wcc-V8awnjM

Shutting down Klay:

w_k3ibdltO4

Remember when Marco busted Klay at the Oracle::cry

xAZ7smAjfp0

Kawhi busting Iggy at the Oracle w/o the Big 3::wakeup

HRWp2uNYkM8

Duds getting owned w/o Timmay:

lSPY0R1A6cE

Kawhi w/ the dagger at the Whoracle:

e4A6VrM_Mi4

[Obstructed_View]

Klay Thompson is an elite level scorer. Kawhi is not. Kawhi is the better overall player. However scoring wise, lets put this in perspective. Kawhi has never in his career scored 40 points in a game. Thompson has scored 37 in a quarter...

The only thing Klay leads KL in is field goal attempts. Kawhi has never in his career taken more than 25 shots in a game. Kawhi's efficiency rating is elite. Klay sits at 66th in the league.

[Kawhitstorm]

The only thing Klay leads KL in is field goal attempts. Kawhi has never in his career taken more than 25 shots in a game. Kawhi's efficiency rating is elite. Klay sits at 66th in the league.

Not to mention Kawhi has OUTSCORED Klay in the past FIVE meetings: http://bkref.com/tiny/dn0pJ :wakeup

[kobyz]

You must have missed Klay Thompson during last year's Finals :lol

Better than emberesing first round exit and mat Barnes shiting on you, Kawhi fall under the pressure more than anyone...

[cjw]

Casual fans and their love for counting stats.

To put it into context for those unable to grasp anything but simple math, Klay needed 1,386 shot attempts to score 1,771 points (385 more points than attempts, or 1.28 points per shot).

Kawhi needed just 1,090 to score 1,523 points (433 more points than attempts, or 1.40 points per shot).

Yes, Kawhi's stats are helped by getting to the free throw line much more (100 more points at line), but remove points scored by free throws and you're still at nearly identical 1.14 for Klay and 1.13 for Kawhi. Very different degrees of difficulty with their shots, though.

As a basis of comparison, Clay scored 10.3 catch & shoot vs. 3.9 pull-up PPG this year. Curry was 10.6 vs. 7.2 in the other direction. Now tell me who's the focal point vs. being a system player, albeit a great shooter.

[kobyz]

How do you keep having those debates? Nothing of this is relevant cause we all know Kawhi will keep fall under the pressure in real time...

[Kawhitstorm]

Better than emberesing first round exit and mat Barnes shiting on you, Kawhi fall under the pressure more than anyone...

I guess it's better than getting outplayed by JR Smith during the latter part of the Finals despite JR being atrocious in that series.:lmao

[TD 21]

There's no credible argument for Thompson being as good as, let alone better than Leonard. But like the vast majority of old school media types, Smith has both an elementary understanding and antiquated view of the game.

Essentially, everything comes down to how much a player scores and how they carry themselves. He's never liked the Spurs because they're not "black" enough for him and despite Leonard's appearance, he's no different.

[GSH]

Jeez, it's not that hard to figure out.

The defensive end isn't even worth talking about. Klay is a good defender, Kawhi is a great defender. There aren't many of those. Nobody suggests that Klay is in the same class defensively, unless they are just trying to be controversial. It is worth noting that Kawhi pulls down 10.6 total rebounds and 1.5 blocks per 100 Possessions, while Kyle gets just 5.5 boards and .9 blocks per 100 Possessions. But that doesn't even come close to showing how much more of a defensive difference maker Kawhi is.

So how about the offensive end?
Kawhi shot 35% of his shots from inside 10 feet this season. His FGA from 0-3 feet was .730, and from 3-10 feet he shot .472.
Klay shot only 27% of his shots from inside 10 feet. His FGA from 0-3 feet was .687, and .336 from 3-10 feet.
So Kawhi spends a lot more of his time around the rim, being closely guarded, but he still manages to make a much higher percentage of his close shots than Kyle.


47% of Klay's shots were 3-pointers, and he shot .425 from outside.
Only 27% of Kawhi's shots were 3-pointers, but he shot .443.
If you asked the average fan, most would guess that Klay shot 3-pointers the best... but they would be wrong. Being on the Spurs, Kawhi doesn't shoot as many, but he makes more of his.

Here's a fun one:
72% of Klay's 2-point shots are assisted, and 92% of his 3-point shots are assisted.
Meanwhile, only 45% of Kawhi's 2-point shots are assisted, and 86% of his 3-point shots are assisted.
So Kawhi shoots higher percentages than Klay, AND he creates more of his own shots.

How about getting to the rack?
Kawhi made 64 dunks this season - about 6% of his FGA's were dunks.
Klay made just 16 dunks, which was just 1.6% of his FGA's.
So which one is more explosive around the rim?

It doesn't matter what category you want to talk about. AST's? Blocks? FTA's? Kawhi is better... much better... at all of them. The only offensive areas where Klay excels over Kawhi are the fact that he takes a lot more 3-pointers, and he's on a team full of shooters that get him a lot more open looks. Their EFG% are virtually identical, even though Klay shoots a LOT more 3-pointers. Klay is a shooter. Kawhi is a creator. Smith knows the difference. He just gets paid to generate controversy.

[313]

Klay scored 37 in a quarter, kawhi has never scored 35 in a game.

As the number one option these playoffs(when Steph was out) he averaged like 30 ppg. Has Kawhi ever had back to back 30 point games? Fucking lol

[kobyz]

I guess it's better than getting outplayed by JR Smith during the latter part of the Finals despite JR being atrocious in that series.:lmao

Let me think, title, first round exit... I think causing your team an emberesing first round exit is worst...

[FkLA]

Klay Thompson is an elite level scorer.

:lol No he's not. First and foremost he's a fucking spot-up shooter.

[G-Dawgg]

Yeah so? Put into perspective. Kawhi has never put up 40 points in his whole career. Thompson has put up 37 in a single quarter. He is more than just a shooter like Danny Green. He can score by driving and on floaters. It just so happens that shooting is his forte.

[Kawhitstorm]

Klay "Best two-way player" Thompson doesn't even guard WestBrick full-time. He usually switches onto him in the 2nd half/4th quarter but Curry has been sharing the workload. When Duds go small w/ Livingston instead of Barnes, they put Klay on Ibaka & Livingston on WestBrick. On the offense end, he doesn't have to create his own shots b/c they have a motion offense & multiple playmakers along w/ the best gravity guy in the history of the league.

Facts: When Klay is guarding WestBrick OKC has an offensive rating of 119.9 (115 vs. Curry & 100 vs. Iggy).:lol
-Trivia at 32 minutes mark: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=15773632&s=espn

Klay vs. OKC:
-25/4/2/1 (TS%: 54.8, ORtg: 105, DRtg: 111--> Net: -6)

WestBrick vs. Duds:
-28/7/11/4 (TS%: 52.1, ORtg: 111, DRtg: 103, Net-->+8)

Vs.

Kawhi vs. OKC:
-23.2/7/4/2 (TS%: 55.4, ORtg: 109, DRtg: 105--> Net: +4)

WestBrick vs. Spurs
-25/6/10/2 (TS%: 47.9, ORtg: 105, DRtg: 107--> Net: -2)

So, Kawhi has a BETTER TS% despite Klay's Gm 6 explosion & Kawhi having to guard WestBrick for 40 minutes along w/ scoring off mainly of ISO plays unlike Klay.:lol

Plus, WestBrick has been more efficient against the Duds despite them having more plus defenders than the Spurs.:wakeup

[Kawhitstorm]

Klay scored 37 in a quarter, kawhi has never scored 35 in a game.

As the number one option these playoffs(when Steph was out) he averaged like 30 ppg. Has Kawhi ever had back to back 30 point games? Fucking lol

Klay average 30 ppg against a team w/ the shittiest perimeter defenders: CJ/Lillard. They were responsible for making Porker seem like PRIME Nash during he regular season:

lJX83eqmnxs

Besides, Michael Redd once made 8 threes & scored 26 in a quarter so I guess he must be better than Pippen who never scored 26 in a half.:lol

[skulls138]

I agree that since Kawhi shoots 3s so well, the Spurs should significantly increase his number of 3 point shots. Just a couple more threes per game added to his improving overall game, and he'd easily average 26-28ppg. Add that to his D, and you've got an MVP.I agree plus I think its less taxing physically and fits better with LMA. LMA therefore needs to develop a better inside game and passing out of it.

[Kawhitstorm]

I agree plus I think its less taxing physically and fits better with LMA. LMA therefore needs to develop a better inside game and passing out of it.

Softridge was surrounded w/ shooters in Portland & had an AST% of 9.2 at a career high USG% of 30.2 last season. Tim at the same point of his career had an AST% of 18 w/ a USG% of 28 while playing w/ Porker who isn't a shooter.

[hitmanyr2k]

I agree plus I think its less taxing physically and fits better with LMA. LMA therefore needs to develop a better inside game and passing out of it.

Rather than going outside and taking more threes I think Kawhi would be more effective improving and diversifying his low post game and learning how to handle double teams consistently. He can overwhelm most forwards on the low block and with improved footwork he could be devastating down there drawing more fouls and becoming a playmaker from the post.

[Kawhitstorm]

Rather than going outside and taking more threes I think Kawhi would be more effective improving and diversifying his low post game and learning how to handle double teams consistently. He can overwhelm most forwards on the low block and with improved footwork he could be devastating down there drawing more fouls and becoming a playmaker from the post.

He definitely needs to get to the line at a rate higher than Marion Chalmers.:lol

[skulls138]

Softridge was surrounded w/ shooters in Portland & had an AST% of 9.2 at a career high USG% of 30.2 last season. Tim at the same point of his career had an AST% of 18 w/ a USG% of 28 while playing w/ Porker who isn't a shooter.Hes got his work cut out for him. Hes good but needs to be more well rounded. Hope he continues to learn from Duncan.

[FkLA]

Yeah so? Put into perspective. Kawhi has never put up 40 points in his whole career. Thompson has put up 37 in a single quarter. He is more than just a shooter like Danny Green. He can score by driving and on floaters. It just so happens that shooting is his forte.

Jesus christ. Yeah, he's a better offensive player than Green but he's still primarily a spot-up shooter than depends on others to set him up. He's not a guy that you can run your offense through or that can consistently come out on top in iso situations. Kawhi is.

You can say he's more explosive than Kawhi when he's on. But he's not a better offensive player than Kawhi.

[skulls138]

Rather than going outside and taking more threes I think Kawhi would be more effective improving and diversifying his low post game and learning how to handle double teams consistently. He can overwhelm most forwards on the low block and with improved footwork he could be devastating down there drawing more fouls and becoming a playmaker from the post.Whatever comes easy to him he should do more of. If hes good at postups, by all means. I mention 3 pt shooting because hes good at it and its easier physically than driving, which he mostly shoots a mid range jumper instead of finishing. If he can just pin a guy down low, do an up and under, maybe an internal pass to LMA, making better chemistry, hell yeah.

[Kawhitstorm]

Hes got his work cut out for him. Hes good but needs to be more well rounded. Hope he continues to learn from Duncan.

He should just work on expanding his range & become a knockdown 3 point shooter like Rasheed so he doesn't have to deal w/ double-teams until PATFO euthanize Porker.

[spurtech09]

KL is better on the D department...Klay Thompson is good in the O department.....KL is much stronger though .......either way I would want both on my team....

[J_Paco]

The Warriors have 3 players that are arguably better than Kawhi :lol

NBA= fucked

No, they don't.

Green and Thompson aren't better than Leonard.

[J_Paco]

How do you keep having those debates? Nothing of this is relevant cause we all know Kawhi will keep fall under the pressure in real time...

Why are you so stupid, man?

Even with the last two "failures," Kawhi still has a NBA championship, Finals MVP, and two Finals appearances to his credit.

Get out of here with your stupid takes.

[313]

Kawhi should try and speed up his release as well. What make Klay such a great scorer is his ability to get his shot up even when tightly contested.

[rasuo214]

He's basically Danny Green with dribbling ability.

It's funny that the media talks about how great Steph Curry is but then talk about how great Klay and Draymond are. Well either Steph is great and makes those 2 better or Steph is overrated as fuck.


What this shows is that the Spurs need bare minimum another star to compete with the Warriors and Cavs who each have a Big3 (and good/great role players). Even OKC has a Big2 with several great role players. The Spurs need to either upgrade the role players or add at least one more star to compete.

[hitmantb]

Kwahi is a better all-around player and more consistent. He had three great games stretch vs LeBron in 2014 finals, didn't destroy LeBron in these three games, but canceled him out completely. And whenever he cancels out opposing team's #1 option, Spurs win automatically. He is a better core player to build around.

Klay has higher one-game ceiling. 37 in a quarter, 11 3-pointers in the toughest game of the Steve Kerr era where he was the most dominant player on the court. He is comparable to Ginobili on the classic GDP big three teams. When you are desperate, he steps up and delivers a game far above his average games and gets you over the finish line. You can not build around him, but with his lack of ego, the perfect player next to a MVP.

Seriously Splash Brothers is the most amazing backcourt in NBA history. Can you name Jordan/Kobe's point guards? How about Stockton/Nash/Kidd/Payton's shooting guards? All blue collar grunts. Klay would have been first team all-NBA if shooting guard still has its own slot like center does, he and Curry's games are perfect for each other.

[99 Problems]

Klaymond, one great game. :lol Sure he carried Steff but what next? Bigger physical threat than Shaq :lol

[Sean Cagney]

Hype and heat of the moment type of things from the other night, happens all the time. Kawhi has a great series or playoffs next year they will all flip flop on that.

[Sean Cagney]

Why are you so stupid, man?



:lol truth

[Kawhitstorm]

Kawhi should try and speed up his release as well. What make Klay such a great scorer is his ability to get his shot up even when tightly contested.

Klay doesn't dip (never puts the ball below his chest) nor jump when he shoots much like Manu, which is why he has a quick release. Kawhi on the other hand uses his leg a LOT (that's why he struggles when he's tired) & has an average release much like Carmelo.

[tholdren]

There's no credible argument for Thompson being as good as, let alone better than Leonard. But like the vast majority of old school media types, Smith has both an elementary understanding and antiquated view of the game.

Essentially, everything comes down to how much a player scores and how they carry themselves. He's never liked the Spurs because they're not "black" enough for him and despite Leonard's appearance, he's no different.

Absolutely . I think that all around players are 100 times better than scorers only. I think that the NBA is filled with players who ARE NOT the best at this sport. The difference between KL and Klay is that, and I rarely watch the Warriors, when I watch the warriors play, I see him hit BIG SHOTS when needed. I watch the spurs A LOT. I see KL hit some great shots. I see KL make some AWESOME Defensive plays. But I don't see him TAKE OVER. I don't see him make these plays at a high rate when needed.

Like Game 6 of the Warriors/Thunder - Thompson hit like 8 BIG TIME shots. More in that Game than KL did all series. He's the quietest "scorer" Ive ever seen. And I don't mean "no Flash" He can do it - no doubt - he just doesn't. Thompson does.

[phxspurfan]

I'm trying to think of what SAS could be thinking of, but I'm coming up with nothing. Leonard is better player than Thompson in every way. I don't even think it's a close comparison. Kawhi is WAY better than he is.

If that isn't a Spurstalk Homer opinion, I don't know what is.


Klay >>>> KL on offense. If it wasn't for Curry ballhogging, Klay would have multiple 50 point games and would average 30

[HarlemHeat37]

Absolutely . I think that all around players are 100 times better than scorers only. I think that the NBA is filled with players who ARE NOT the best at this sport. The difference between KL and Klay is that, and I rarely watch the Warriors, when I watch the warriors play, I see him hit BIG SHOTS when needed. I watch the spurs A LOT. I see KL hit some great shots. I see KL make some AWESOME Defensive plays. But I don't see him TAKE OVER. I don't see him make these plays at a high rate when needed.

Like Game 6 of the Warriors/Thunder - Thompson hit like 8 BIG TIME shots. More in that Game than KL did all series. He's the quietest "scorer" Ive ever seen. And I don't mean "no Flash" He can do it - no doubt - he just doesn't. Thompson does.

:lol what the fuck? have you ever watched Klay Thompson prior to this playoff run? He literally never even had an average playoff run in his career in 4 attempts..he was probably the biggest playoff under-performer in the NBA among All-Star caliber players, despite rarely having to create for himself..

[therealtruth]

Klay is able to change games with his shooting since he's such a good shooter but there's multiple ways to take over games. For Kawhi to goto the next level he needs to be able to take over games and win them. It doesn't mean he plays hero ball but he makes the other guys better.

[cjw]

I guess people quickly forget how Kawhi shot the Spurs back into game 5 of the 2014 finals after a horrid start. Klay has the same usage as Kawhi and is less efficient. Meanwhile, Klay grades as an average defender at best by most metrics (benefits from great team D) while Kawhi is elite.

Then again, Kawhi is the most important player on his team while Klay is #4. Yes, Iggy is that much more important against the Thunder, Spurs and Cavs.

[rasuo214]

Klay is able to change games with his shooting since he's such a good shooter but there's multiple ways to take over games. For Kawhi to goto the next level he needs to be able to take over games and win them. It doesn't mean he plays hero ball but he makes the other guys better.

So could Danny Green (see 2013 finals) doesn't make him the best 2 way player. Klay was assisted on 77% of his playoff shots, 81% in the regular season.

To put that in some perspective:

Danny Green was assisted on 87% of his playoff shots, 85% in the regular season
Kawhi Leonard was assisted on 43% of his playoff shots, 55% in the regular season

Draymond Green was assisted on 62% of his playoff shots, 70% in the regular season
Steph Curry was assisted on 35% of his playoff shots, 47% in the regular season

[Kawhitstorm]

Meanwhile, Klay grades as an average defender at best by most metrics (benefits from great team D) while Kawhi is elite.

Iggy & Livingston (against most matchups) are better defenders than Klay, which is why his DBPM is a negative.

[HarlemHeat37]

Curry was the best Westbrook-defender in this series, btw:lol

[Kawhitstorm]

Klay is able to change games with his shooting since he's such a good shooter but there's multiple ways to take over games. For Kawhi to goto the next level he needs to be able to take over games and win them. It doesn't mean he plays hero ball but he makes the other guys better.

For Kawhi to make "other guys better", he would have to be surrounded by guys that can actually make shots (see LeBron's teammates) & Pop would have to let him be a playmaker instead of letting Porker run the show.:rolleyes

Kawhi makes a concerted effort to find Danny when he drives & kicks but otherwise Pop doesn't let him run PnRs w/ LMA nor bring up the ball. There have been times where he get doubled & Porker is the outlet except he isn't a shooter. For example, at the end of Gm 5 Porker bricked 2 WIDE open shots that basically swung the series when OKC was daring anyone to beat them except Kawhi.

If Porker can't make wide open mid-range shots then he's unless when Kawhi plays point-forward b/c he can't catch & get to the rim any longer, which is what happened to him on one of the play in Gm 5 against OKC. Patty was also useless against OKC so basically the team had two unplayable point guards in a league where it's the most valuable position.:lol (If Manu was in 2014 form then he might have been able to mitigate it but alas, he's 38)

[Kawhitstorm]

Curry was the best Westbrook-defender in this series, btw:lol

Actually, it was Iggy but he didn't guard him much. Although, he ripped him on the most critical sequence of the series:



2:06.0
A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html) makes 2-pt shot from 1 ft
+2
101-101




1:40.0


101-101

Turnover by R. Westbrook (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html) (lost ball; steal by A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html))



1:35.0
K. Thompson (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thompkl01.html) makes 3-pt shot from 25 ft (assist by A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html))
+3
104-101

[therealtruth]

Kwahi is a better all-around player and more consistent. He had three great games stretch vs LeBron in 2014 finals, didn't destroy LeBron in these three games, but canceled him out completely. And whenever he cancels out opposing team's #1 option, Spurs win automatically. He is a better core player to build around.

Klay has higher one-game ceiling. 37 in a quarter, 11 3-pointers in the toughest game of the Steve Kerr era where he was the most dominant player on the court. He is comparable to Ginobili on the classic GDP big three teams. When you are desperate, he steps up and delivers a game far above his average games and gets you over the finish line. You can not build around him, but with his lack of ego, the perfect player next to a MVP.

Seriously Splash Brothers is the most amazing backcourt in NBA history. Can you name Jordan/Kobe's point guards? How about Stockton/Nash/Kidd/Payton's shooting guards? All blue collar grunts. Klay would have been first team all-NBA if shooting guard still has its own slot like center does, he and Curry's games are perfect for each other.

I think the Spurs need another 3 and D point guard that Kawhi and LMA can play off. TP is not going to cut it and Mills is too small defensively.

[TheGreatYacht]

Roberson couldn't inflict his will on Klay, tbh..

Klay > Kiwi

[kobyz]

Kawhi need diaper in a playoff game, we all know that with Kawhi lead team we will lose every series against any appropriate opponent...

[kobyz]

Why are you so stupid, man?

Even with the last two "failures," Kawhi still has a NBA championship, Finals MVP, and two Finals appearances to his credit.

Get out of here with your stupid takes.

You are stupid for keeping ignore the reality and overrating Kawhi

[Kawhitstorm]

Kawhi need diaper in a playoff game, we all know that with Kawhi lead team we will lose every series against any appropriate opponent...

This guy would lead the Spurs to world domination:

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/nazi-2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200

[kobyz]

Go back to talk you shity takes, lol preferring thunder over clippers!

[kobyz]

:lol what the fuck? have you ever watched Klay Thompson prior to this playoff run? He literally never even had an average playoff run in his career in 4 attempts..he was probably the biggest playoff under-performer in the NBA among All-Star caliber players, despite rarely having to create for himself..

Stop talking ball please! Everything you saying and predict becoming totally bs ever!!!

[Kawhitstorm]

Roberson couldn't inflict his will on Klay, tbh..

737469572861726720

[Kawhitstorm]

Go back to talk you shity takes, lol preferring thunder over clippers!

They both blew a 3-1 lead but only the Cripples are chokers despite their team being the one w/ the hobbled star point guard!:lmao

So, who's the tallest midget...........?

[Kawhitstorm]

Stop talking ball please! Everything you saying and predict becoming totally bs ever!!!

Please, go gas yourself in the chamber. You won't be missed nor your nonsensical troll job.:wakeup

[midnightpulp]

:lol Klay wasn't even that good in this series, but the prisoner of the moment media will of course hype up his Game 6 bail out job.

He shot .415 for the series, had -6 ORTG/DRTG spread, was outrebounded by his point guard who is probably playing on a bad knee :lol, didn't do any playmaking. We should actually be talking about Klay Thompson being one of the reasons the Warriors aren't advancing, but the Thunder pulled one of the all-time great chokejobs, so the only game of his that will be remembered was his 41 point breakout (and he needed 31 shots. Still not bad efficiency, but it wasn't an "all time great" offensive performance by any means).

Faggot Raymond also comes out of this squeaky clean, when he was terrible the entire series.

Meanwhile, Kawhi is having to carry the perimeter offense by himself, since none of our shit fuckin role perimeter players are capable of scoring double digits for two games in a row.

[Obstructed_View]

If that isn't a Spurstalk Homer opinion, I don't know what is.


Klay >>>> KL on offense. If it wasn't for Curry ballhogging, Klay would have multiple 50 point games and would average 30

Other than field goal attempts, I'll be waiting for a list of offensive stats you can come up with to back that up. Leonard is top five in efficiency rating. Seriously, it's not even close. Taking a bunch of jumpers doesn't make up for that. It just doesn't. I'll take consistency over streaky every day of the week.

[SPURt]

Actually, it was Iggy but he didn't guard him much. Although, he ripped him on the most critical sequence of the series:



2:06.0
A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html) makes 2-pt shot from 1 ft
+2
101-101




1:40.0


101-101

Turnover by R. Westbrook (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html) (lost ball; steal by A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html))


1:35.0
K. Thompson (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thompkl01.html) makes 3-pt shot from 25 ft (assist by A. Iguodala (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/iguodan01.html))
+3
104-101





If this is from game 6, I think that was the play where Iggy grabbed Westbrooks elbow. It was a missed call fwiw

[George Gervin's Afro]

meh... Thompson playing lights out right now.. and it's an easy argument to make to be honest

[phxspurfan]

Other than field goal attempts, I'll be waiting for a list of offensive stats you can come up with to back that up. Leonard is top five in efficiency rating. Seriously, it's not even close. Taking a bunch of jumpers doesn't make up for that. It just doesn't. I'll take consistency over streaky every day of the week.

KL has been a scorer for one year. Bet you 20 bucks that Thompson has a higher career PPG and FG% at the end of their careers.

It's like saying some big (D12 for example) regularly shoots 4/5 from the field so he's better offensively than a guy who averages 20. You can't extrapolate efficiency with being able to be a first option. KL will never be a reliable first option because he just can't generate all those points on his own. He's a damn sold 2nd banana though. Just look at how he deferred to TP in game 6, and got his team eliminated. And then look at what Klay did when the MVP wasn't doing a damn thing and his team was down 3-1 and 3-2.


Put it this way. If Leonard gets 25 in a game he's awesome here. If Klay gets 27 in a game in the bay, he didn't do enough most likely. 30-40 is where he's been in the playoffs. Just look at the stats.

[HarlemHeat37]

KL has been a scorer for one year. Bet you 20 bucks that Thompson has a higher career PPG and FG% at the end of their careers.

It's like saying some big (D12 for example) regularly shoots 4/5 from the field so he's better offensively than a guy who averages 20. You can't extrapolate efficiency with being able to be a first option. KL will never be a reliable first option because he just can't generate all those points on his own. He's a damn sold 2nd banana though. Just look at how he deferred to TP in game 6, and got his team eliminated. And then look at what Klay did when the MVP wasn't doing a damn thing and his team was down 3-1 and 3-2.


Put it this way. If Leonard gets 25 in a game he's awesome here. If Klay gets 27 in a game in the bay, he didn't do enough most likely. 30-40 is where he's been in the playoffs. Just look at the stats.

:lol have you ever watched Klay Thompson prior to this playoff run, tbh?

His scoring numbers vs. OKC(the only decent team he played against in these playoffs) were virtually the same as Kawhi's vs. OKC, despite having Curry's gravity..

Thompson vs. OKC: 24.7 PPG on 54.5% TS
Kawhi vs. OKC: 23.2 PPG on 55.4% TS

The scoring numbers are virtually the same, despite Kawhi creating way more for himself, and also being asked to do much more(Thompson doesn't do anything outside of score and occasionally defend, where he's a little above average)..

[Horse]

Kawhi is better and still improving. I believe next season we will finally see him take over games when he needs to offfensivley.

[Kawhitstorm]

KL has been a scorer for one year. Bet you 20 bucks that Thompson has a higher career PPG and FG% at the end of their careers.

It's like saying some big (D12 for example) regularly shoots 4/5 from the field so he's better offensively than a guy who averages 20. You can't extrapolate efficiency with being able to be a first option. KL will never be a reliable first option because he just can't generate all those points on his own. He's a damn sold 2nd banana though. Just look at how he deferred to TP in game 6, and got his team eliminated. And then look at what Klay did when the MVP wasn't doing a damn thing and his team was down 3-1 and 3-2.


Put it this way. If Leonard gets 25 in a game he's awesome here. If Klay gets 27 in a game in the bay, he didn't do enough most likely. 30-40 is where he's been in the playoffs. Just look at the stats.

Klay has inferior numbers than Michael Redd through ~400 games of their career & Redd was just as efficient despite Klay having played his entire career w/ Curry thus had the benefit of "gravity" & wasn't the primary focus of the defense: http://bkref.com/tiny/umr6q (they both have negative DBPMs::lol)

I never heard anyone saying Michael Redd is an "all-time" great & he was also All-NBA 3rd team just like Klay.

This debate reminds me of when folks used to say Glen Rice was better than Pippen in the mid-90s after Rice came into the spotlight in the '97 All-Star game w/ Jordan in the building:

ln1AZu2W1Qc

He also beat the best 3 point shooter of his era in a shootout:

lGLCVyRZ3Y8

Pippen can't do this::cry

aN4OMPS4Yxo

What actually happened when they faced each other :

0Yh4qNNJIBQ

:wakeup

[Kawhitstorm]

:lol have you ever watched Klay Thompson prior to this playoff run, tbh?

737705462951346177


His scoring numbers vs. OKC(the only decent team he played against in these playoffs) were virtually the same as Kawhi's vs. OKC, despite having Curry's gravity..

737700510996660225

737657802156564480

737659058035924992

[GSH]

Klay has inferior numbers than Michael Redd through ~400 games of their career & Redd was just as efficient despite Klay having played his entire career w/ Curry thus had the benefit of "gravity" & wasn't the primary focus of the defense: http://bkref.com/tiny/umr6q (they both have negative DBPMs::lol)

I never heard anyone saying Michael Redd is an "all-time" great & he was also All-NBA 3rd team just like Klay.


Maybe if you had watched, rather than getting your info off some website. Michael Redd was a fucking scoring machine for several years, until he got hurt. Of course nobody talks about him being "one of the best", since he only had three prime seasons beyond his rookie contract because of injury. And nobody ever included him in ANY discussions about being a great two-way player - which is what this thread is about.

But, hey, great non sequitur argument. I mean, if I'm ever in need of a totally meaningless comparison, I'll come looking for you first.

[Kawhitstorm]

Maybe if you had watched, rather than getting your info off some website. Michael Redd was a fucking scoring machine for several years, until he got hurt. Of course nobody talks about him being "one of the best", since he only had three prime seasons beyond his rookie contract because of injury. And nobody ever included him in ANY discussions about being a great two-way player - which is what this thread is about.

Way to take it out of context, my point wasn't that Michael Redd was trash but that if Klay played on the Bucks then NOBODY would be calling him the best "two-way" player besides his defense is OVERRATED!

BTW, Michael Redd was a a more VERSATILE scorer than Klay which is something you can't always discern from looking at stats "off some website" but rather from FUCKIN' WATCHING him play.

[GSH]

KL has been a scorer for one year. Bet you 20 bucks that Thompson has a higher career PPG and FG% at the end of their careers.

It's like saying some big (D12 for example) regularly shoots 4/5 from the field so he's better offensively than a guy who averages 20. You can't extrapolate efficiency with being able to be a first option. KL will never be a reliable first option because he just can't generate all those points on his own. He's a damn sold 2nd banana though. Just look at how he deferred to TP in game 6, and got his team eliminated. And then look at what Klay did when the MVP wasn't doing a damn thing and his team was down 3-1 and 3-2.


Put it this way. If Leonard gets 25 in a game he's awesome here. If Klay gets 27 in a game in the bay, he didn't do enough most likely. 30-40 is where he's been in the playoffs. Just look at the stats.


Klay is a shooter. Kawhi is a scorer. None of the rest of the shit people are slinging means anything. Klay gets right at 50% of his points out on the 3P line, with someone else assisting. Nothing wrong with that - it's what shooters do. Kawhi only gets 25% of his points beyond the arc, and the rest he's mostly getting for himself - and in the process getting other players better looks.

You people who want to crown some guy king because of a single playoff run have some very selective memories. This year... this fucking playoffs... Klay has had games where he has shot: 4-14, 7-20, 7-20, 7-18, 5-17, 8-21, and 7-19. That's the kind of shit you people want to crucify Kawhi for. You say he hasn't done enough if he doesn't score at least 27 in a game? Well then he's under-performed in 9 of their 17 playoff games so far. See, that's the problem. You remember the good performances, and tell yourself that he does it every night. He doesn't.

BTW- Klay's rebounding in these playoffs? He's had games of 3,2,3,3,1,2,2, and 1. Klay rarely has more than 5 boards, while Kawhi rarely has less. So Klay releases and heads up the floor for easy buckets, while Kawhi stays on the other end wrestling with giants for rebounds, and then grinding out his shots on the other end. If you don't understand what that does to scoring numbers, you don't understand dick about the game, and you shouldn't even be in the discussion.

[TD 21]

Absolutely . I think that all around players are 100 times better than scorers only. I think that the NBA is filled with players who ARE NOT the best at this sport. The difference between KL and Klay is that, and I rarely watch the Warriors, when I watch the warriors play, I see him hit BIG SHOTS when needed. I watch the spurs A LOT. I see KL hit some great shots. I see KL make some AWESOME Defensive plays. But I don't see him TAKE OVER. I don't see him make these plays at a high rate when needed.

Like Game 6 of the Warriors/Thunder - Thompson hit like 8 BIG TIME shots. More in that Game than KL did all series. He's the quietest "scorer" Ive ever seen. And I don't mean "no Flash" He can do it - no doubt - he just doesn't. Thompson does.

:lol Of course they're the best in the world at this sport. It's by far the hardest of the major four leagues to break into, because it's the only truly international sport of the four and it has by far the fewest roster spots. Yeah, it's almost impossible to make it if you're not at least over 6-0, but still.

As far as Leonard, because he's now widely regarded as a top five player, people expect him to be what a prototypical top five player generally is offensively and he's not. He can't create for others or get to the rim like most of them.

He's still easily better than Thompson though, but to the casual fan, it's all about who scores more.

[GSH]

Way to take it out of context, my point wasn't that Michael Redd was trash but that if Klay played on the Bucks then NOBODY would be calling him the best "two-way" player besides his defense is OVERRATED!

BTW, Michael Redd was a a more VERSATILE scorer than Klay which is something you can't always discern from looking at stats "off some website" but rather from FUCKIN' WATCHING him play.


The shit rains down so thick in here sometimes, I can't tell what half of you are trying to say. Michael Redd has no place in the discussion, so I guess I whiffed that one.

Klay Thompson is a very good offensive player, but the one simple fact is that this wouldn't even be a discussion if he wasn't a deadly 3P shooter, on a team that gets him a lot of uncontested looks. The rest of his offensive game is good, but far from great. The Spurs are a defensive rebounding team that runs a half-court offense. Put Klay Thompson on a team like that, force him to grind for boards and take away his transition points? He would be a talented player, but NOBODY would be talking about him being one of the best two-way players. Nobody. Even Steven A. Smith wouldn't stoop that low to try and stir up controversy.

[still.focused]

Klays not in KLs class defensively. Not even close
He however is quite better offensive
Oddly enough as Great Value KL is a a playmaker Klay is even worse
Hes really has no game with the ball

[Obstructed_View]

KL has been a scorer for one year. Bet you 20 bucks that Thompson has a higher career PPG and FG% at the end of their careers.

It's like saying some big (D12 for example) regularly shoots 4/5 from the field so he's better offensively than a guy who averages 20. You can't extrapolate efficiency with being able to be a first option. KL will never be a reliable first option because he just can't generate all those points on his own. He's a damn sold 2nd banana though. Just look at how he deferred to TP in game 6, and got his team eliminated. And then look at what Klay did when the MVP wasn't doing a damn thing and his team was down 3-1 and 3-2.


Put it this way. If Leonard gets 25 in a game he's awesome here. If Klay gets 27 in a game in the bay, he didn't do enough most likely. 30-40 is where he's been in the playoffs. Just look at the stats.

In other words, you couldn't find a single stat to back up your argument. KL is a far better player right now. If Klay averages 30 points per game next year we can revisit, but it's not really relevant to this discussion.

[Keepin' it real]

Uh oh, Marc Jackson just agreed with Smith by calling Klay Thompson the best two way player in the league. And JVG seemed to agree.

The Spurs are doomed ... :depressed

[DPG21920]

:lmao he tried to sell that Klay and not Kawhi guards the opposing team's best players consistently. What an idiot.

[Kawhitstorm]

:lmao he tried to sell that Klay and not Kawhi guards the opposing team's best players consistently. What an idiot.

He got caught off guard & made up a false narrative.:lol (Kawhi checked WestBrick more than Klay & Curry did a better job)

[tholdren]

Klay is better - he's playing KL is not

This year versus the Thunder in the playoffs:

Klay outscored KL PER GAME
Kay actually WON a momentum changing game and possibly the series for the Warriors
Shot 41% from 3 compared to KL 28% from 3

KL is probably the better all around player, but thompson has the 3 and will shoot to kill mentality that KL does not.

Disagree with better 2 way player, but would say that I would want KT on my team just as much as KL in a playoff series.

[YGWHI]

This year versus the Thunder in the playoffs:

Klay outscored KL PER GAME

:lol

By one single point and with worse TS%.


His scoring numbers vs. OKC(the only decent team he played against in these playoffs) were virtually the same as Kawhi's vs. OKC, despite having Curry's gravity..

Thompson vs. OKC: 24.7 PPG on 54.5% TS
Kawhi vs. OKC: 23.2 PPG on 55.4% TS

The scoring numbers are virtually the same, despite Kawhi creating way more for himself, and also being asked to do much more(Thompson doesn't do anything outside of score and occasionally defend, where he's a little above average)..

[skulls138]

Speaking of the Warriors, their supposed best player, Curry, isnt really doing much of anything. How come they are winning? Oh I know, the TEAM is picking up his slack...so get off KL and LMA back for not being perfect because they got practically nothing from the rest of the Spurs

[phxspurfan]

The ABC Finals announcer (Mike Tirico I think) said the same thing in game 2 telecast (Klay best 2 way player in the league, guards the best on the other team and still scores 20 a game etc). The other guy said what about Kawhi Leonard? He was like naw. Then I think the woman (Doris Burke maybe) said what about James Harden rofl

[SpursFan86]

It was Mark Jackson who said that during last night's game.

Generally speaking, if Mark Jackson and Stephen A. Smith are saying the same thing, it's probably a safe bet to believe the opposite :lol

[SPURt]

It was Mark Jackson who said that during last night's game.

Generally speaking, if Mark Jackson and Stephen A. Smith are saying the same thing, it's probably a safe bet to believe the opposite :lol
When JVG suggested Kawhi, Mark said "Klay is defending Kyrie, Kawhi can't do that". Kawhi would be guarding Lebron, Klay couldn't do that. Mark is a GS homer since he coached all those guys, so I wouldn't expect anything different.

[Horse]

There's a reason he's announcing and not coaching. His argument was klay guards the opposing teams best player cause he was guarding kyrie, fucking retarded seeing that lebron is their best player. Besides Kawhi is clearly the better defender and has a better overall offensive game.

[hitmanyr2k]

I saw the Mark Jackson comment and just shook my head when he had to come up with a reason for not mentioning Kawhi when put on the spot. He could have said both players are 1a and 1b but just mumbled some bullshit and wasn't challenged on it. ABC/ESPN just puts out a shitty product period. The only guy I can stand to listen to on that network is Doug Collins.

[TampaDude]

Klay is a better outside shooter, but Kawhi is THE BEST perimeter defender in the NBA. No comparison there.

[cjw]

Klay is a better outside shooter, but Kawhi is THE BEST perimeter defender in the NBA. No comparison there.

54.6% of Kawhi's regular season buckets were assisted. 81.0% of Klay's were. One player had to create a lot of the offense, while the other feasted off others creating the offense.

- Kawhi's three point percentage was 2% higher, albeit on less than half the number of shots

- More of Klay's threes were catch and shoot (83.5% vs. 78.4%). 61.3% of shot attempts had no dribbles compared to 36.9% of Kawhi's

- Kawhi took many more attempts late in the shot clock, where FG% tends to be a lot lower ... 10.4% of his attempts with the shot clock under 4 seconds vs. Klay's 3.7%; not perfect statistics, but if you reweighted Kawhi's shot attempts for when Klay shot the ball, his eFG% moves from 56.7% to 58.1% (to Klay's 56.9%)

- Klay took more open shots. From 10+ feet, 15.4% of Kawhi's shots were very tightly contested and 35.1% had a defender within 4 feet (50.5%). Klay took only 36.4% of these shots with a defender within 4 feet. Once again, reweighting Kawhi at Klay's percentages pushes Kawhi up to 58.6% eFG%.


Unless the two guys played the exact same role, it's very hard to compare. That said, Kawhi stacks up decently compared to Klay when considering these factors as a shooter. In all other facets of the game, Kawhi is far and away the better player.


Kawhi: http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/202695/tracking/shots/?Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season
Klay: http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/202691/tracking/shots/?Season=2015-16&SeasonType=Regular%20Season

[rasuo214]

Why are they hyping him up to be the best 2 way player (not even close to true) when they can just talk about him being the best SG in the league (which is at least arguable)? Also since when did Kyrie become the best player on the Cavs that it became so special to guard him?

[tholdren]

:lol

By one single point and with worse TS%.
Had KL scored 1 more point during any of the Thunder series it would have changed the outcome. meanwhile KT plays for a ring.....

My Theory - YGWHI = SATranny
- both player fans
- both accept any of their players flaws
- both think their favorite player is the best player in the nba
- both get beat down regularly on ST and have stupid quotes as sigs.

[YGWHI]

Uh oh, Marc Jackson just agreed with Smith by calling Klay Thompson the best two way player in the league. And JVG seemed to agree.

The Spurs are doomed ... :depressed
Mike Breen just destroyed Mark Jackson with "How about Kawhi Leonard"...After that, Jackson looked stupid trying to to justify his point.


Had KL scored 1 more point during any of the Thunder series it would have changed the outcome
Some trolls are bad at math but you don't even know how to count...:lol


both get beat down regularly on ST
Don't project your shit on me. You're the only guy saying that 1 more point would have changed -14, -4, -14, three consecutive losses.

[Spurs9]

Klay is still in the playoffs tbh

[Kawhitstorm]

Klay is still in the playoffs tbh

...so is Harrison Barnes.:wakeup

[Keepin' it real]

So the "best player" can only play on the best team?? Hmm, noted.

[TheDoctor]

...so is Harrison Barnes.:wakeup
And so is James Jones for his 6th straight trip to the Finals :wow

[tholdren]

Mike Breen just destroyed Mark Jackson with "How about Kawhi Leonard"...After that, Jackson looked stupid trying to to justify his point.


Some trolls are bad at math but you don't even know how to count...:lol


Don't project your shit on me. You're the only guy saying that 1 more point would have changed -14, -4, -14, three consecutive losses.

This is exactly why player fans shouldn't be allowed to post. 1 point at any given time could have turned the momentum/stopped or started a run/changed the pace. Kudos to you for not understanding the game.

[Hoops Czar]

Mike Breen just destroyed Mark Jackson with "How about Kawhi Leonard"...After that, Jackson looked stupid trying to to justify his point.


Some trolls are bad at math but you don't even know how to count...:lol


Don't project your shit on me. You're the only guy saying that 1 more point would have changed -14, -4, -14, three consecutive losses.

There were posters here that said Danny Green was a better player than Klay Thompson. :lol Talk about having egg on your face.

[Keepin' it real]

There were posters here that said Danny Green was a better player than Klay Thompson. :lol Talk about having egg on your face.

Well, based on the "logic" at the top of this page, Danny Green WAS a better player in 2013 and 2014 because he was "still playing" in the NBA finals while Klay sat at home watching.
:wakeup

[tholdren]

Well, based on the "logic" at the top of this page, Danny Green WAS a better player in 2013 and 2014 because he was "still playing" in the NBA finals while Klay sat at home watching.
:wakeup
advanced stats back up that "logic" but keep on being cool wit det emoji doe

[Snaq O'Meal]

Spurs tried to trade up in 2011 NBA Draft to select Klay Thompson

The 2011 NBA Draft will always be known at the draft the San Antonio Spurs pulled off a huge deal netting themselves Kawhi Leonard after trading fan favorite George Hill to the Pacers. It has been considered a franchise-saving deal as Kawhi has emerged to become one of the NBA's rising stars and helped lead the team to the 2014 NBA title.

But that same draft could have been also known for the Spurs selecting Warriors' Klay Thompson.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Spurs tried to trade up in the 2011 draft to select Thompson after the team worked him out twice and saw the same competitive fire Manu Ginobili has within him.

The intel on Thompson was so jumbled, the Spurs needed two private workouts before deciding to attempt trading up to get him. After one workout, Chip Engelland, the Spurs' shooting guru, told the front office something that made their hair stand on end, officials remember: Thompson's competitive nature reminded him of Manu Ginobili.

"There's something deep in there," Engelland recalled. "He has that chip. When you see it, you know it."

Look, there's no denying the Spurs scored big in that draft but can you imagine Thompson in silver and black and teaming up with Ginobili, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker and Co.?

The Spurs would have had a nice one-two, inside-outside punch with Thompson and Aldridge and Thompson and Parker. Parker and Thompson could've been one of the better backcourts in the league. If anything, he would have certainly opened up the inside for Aldridge to work.

However, had San Antonio traded up, they might have lost out on trading for Leonard but it would have been a case of win-win - win with Thompson or win with Leonard. Can't go wrong with either choice.

Personally, I think it worked out a bit better for the Spurs. Kawhi is a better two-way player than Thompson no matter what others may say.

But in the end, Spurs fans can now dream of what could have been.

Source: http://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-tried-to-trade-up-in-2011-nba-draft-to-select-warriors-klay-thompson

I bet the Warriors will be open to trading Klay for Kawhi now.

[Hoops Czar]

Source: http://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-tried-to-trade-up-in-2011-nba-draft-to-select-warriors-klay-thompson

I bet the Warriors will be open to trading Klay for Kawhi now.

Would they trade Klay for Green?

[palangi]

Klay is still in the playoffs tbh
So is Matthew Dellavedova!!!

[Sean Cagney]

So is Matthew Dellavedova!!!

SO IS RJ!! :king

[midnightpulp]

There's no comparison now between the two. Klay is a one great game followed by five good-to-okay-to-shitty games level star.

[cutewizard]

i think Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon was the best two-way player in NBA history......

[cutewizard]

no contest here anyway

coz Kahwi got the ultimate accolades: FInals MVP and DPoftheYear

[Obstructed_View]

...so is Harrison Barnes.:wakeup

So is Richard Jefferson.

[tholdren]

There's no comparison now between the two. Klay is a one great game followed by five good-to-okay-to-shitty games level star.

Yet thompson saved the Warriors with his clutch game versus the thunder.... KL has never done that. STOP POSTING

[skulls138]

Yet thompson saved the Warriors with his clutch game versus the thunder.... KL has never done that. STOP POSTINGPretty sure Kawhi was clutch in '14

[tholdren]

Pretty sure Kawhi was clutch in '14
pretty sure he was the 4th option, not the first

[rasuo214]

Thompson isn't the first option.

[tholdren]

Thompson isn't the first option.
He sure was the day he saved the warriors series.

[bic50]

He sure was the day he saved the warriors series.

How are you going to tell someone to stop posting? You've been on this kawhi hate garbage for nearly his whole career with the spurs. Get your fraudulent ass out of here clown.

[Sean Cagney]

There's no comparison now between the two. Klay is a one great game followed by five good-to-okay-to-shitty games level star.

His game stats for in the clutch I saw as well were pretty bad % wise, had no clue until I read them last week. This was after his big game too, he shoots like 38% or less and was one of the lowest on that list. A big game here or there where he explodes offsets that in the minds of folks though because they are stunned by the high light shots.

[skulls138]

He sure was the day he saved the warriors series.Moving the goal post. Your argument against giving KL credit in '14 was because he wasnt first option. Well as was just brought up Klay isnt either. You say KT became the first option in that game, well KL became first option when he was getting hot in '14 too. Whats the difference?

[hsxvvd]

He can't box out for shit.

[~O~]

There's no way he could possibly think that was true.

[therealtruth]

His game stats for in the clutch I saw as well were pretty bad % wise, had no clue until I read them last week. This was after his big game too, he shoots like 38% or less and was one of the lowest on that list. A big game here or there where he explodes offsets that in the minds of folks though because they are stunned by the high light shots.

This playoffs he's certainly answered the call. He's hit lots of big shots which you need to do to win in the playoffs. You can't repeat without doing that.

[Sean Cagney]

This playoffs he's certainly answered the call. He's hit lots of big shots which you need to do to win in the playoffs. You can't repeat without doing that.
That is true, he came through when their season was on the line and saved their season. He came through.

[tholdren]

Moving the goal post. Your argument against giving KL credit in '14 was because he wasnt first option. Well as was just brought up Klay isnt either. You say KT became the first option in that game, well KL became first option when he was getting hot in '14 too. Whats the difference?
The difference is when and how points are scored. KT single-handedly took control. KL has never done that in the playoffs. KT was fed the ball and HAD to score because Curry was/could not, and there was no one else.

When KL "won" FMVP there were literally 4 players who could have won that on SA. Tim/Tony/Manu/KL. Player fans keep pointing at the FMVP as something that makes KL untouchable, but he wasn't the clear-cut MVP of the finals, and WAS DEFINITELY NOT the MVP of that Spurs playoff run.

Had KL made his FT in 2013 spurs would have had their elusive B2B, finals MVP should do that.

[therealtruth]

Had KL made his FT in 2013 spurs would have had their elusive B2B, finals MVP should do that.

The Spurs were probably a freethrow away from winning in '13 but I don't think that guarantees b2b. For one Pop is probably not as motivated if they win and doesn't push them the same way he did in '14.
People have said that repeating is the hardest thing and we can see the same from GS's season. You have to raise your level of play the Spurs have simply never done that. That's one of the biggest reasons they've never repeated.