Klay Thompson | Examining his defense (2019)

Klay Thompson made the All-Defensive team for the first time in his career in 2019. He has a strong reputation as a defender, but his advanced defensive metrics are often lacking. What gives? Is he really one of the best defensive guards in the league? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Golden State Warriors star while incorporating analytics & stats to assess his defensive impact.
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Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball...
stats.nba.com
Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
IMPACT METRICS
-RPM is ESPN's proprietary model that blends adjusted plus-minus with the box score
-PIPM is a hybrid model (box score and plus-minus) that "luck-adjusts" plus-minus data (regresses FT% and 3pt%) to account for noise and is more sensitive to a player's role/fit on a given team. Created by @JacobEGoldstein
-Luck-Adjusted RAPM is a pure plus-minus model adjusted for shooting luck, reducing some of the noise of single-season APM. It is most sensitive to role/fit of these three. Available at: nbashotcharts.c...
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)

[@CadChamberlain]

klay is the perfect fit on every single team in the league

[@kristian9014]

hes terrible without curry

[@drehasthebestbeats2874]

@@kristian9014 Looks like we have a hater. Get back to reality and you'll see that Klay can excel in any system. Coming from a Kawhi fanboy, btw.

[@r3sgthepvs448]

@@kristian9014 😟

[@TheIcemanthomas]

@@kristian9014 is that why hes had some of his best games when currys offense is M.I.A.?

[@govols2214]

If he’s your first option you’re in trouble. But incredible as a 2nd or 3rd option. Very scalable game

[@blue-phoenix115]

Ya but this is just Klay Thompson. Didn’t take in account the other Klays: China Klay, scaffolding Klay, toaster Klay, Game 6 Klay, etc

[@monrajdhillon815]

Headband klay

[@bradenpittman1801]

China klay is dpoy

[@Momo_Nana]

Game 6 klay is the greatest player of all time and it ain't even up for debate

[@sj_leee4995]

also fake klay

[@Jerm353]

Don't forget splash Klay

[@ConnorWilson-gx1rg]

I love the use of lesser known statistics in order to paint a fuller picture. Coupled with great video analysis, this channel is really doing something awesome.

[@Blairskirock]

I'd love a video on the best defenders in the NBA and what makes them effective

[@zachwilliamson13]

Blair Johnson 2nd this!

[@12savage68]

154th this

[@kingthanos4964]

Maate you've done it again. Amazing comprehensive analysis. Love it.

[@RV1AND]

This analysis shows that the Warrior's defensive scheme and team construction match up perfectly to Klay's strengths. He's best as an on-ball defender against slashers, and his primary defensive role is on the opponent's best ball handler. His weaknesses also correspond to the strengths of his teammates, as Draymond Green is one of the best ever at providing timely help to save a defensive possession.

[@anthonybanks1948]

Klay been a Superstar since 2016 if not before go look at the playoff run he had with steph missing games and him closing out teams

[@jojomojogaming3107]

Can we get an analysis of MJ using your metrics and analysis as a baseline for these modern players? It would be a lot of fun to watch.

[@srj34]

Thinking Basketball: Good defender with some clear assets and noticeable liabilities Every Commenter In Other NBA Channels: HE SHUTS EVERYONE DOWN HES THE STOPPER

[@calebjabez8426]

Basketball is a team game. Golden State can play shutdown defense and Klay and Draymond are a lot more than the sum of their parts when they play together. Klay provides the defense with the hustle and energy required to keep up with best offensive guard in the opposing team. Draymond uses that hustle to make intelligent defensive plays.

[@richardwhitman1931]

Great video🔥🔥🔥

[@marcuslim6009]

Do Deandre Ayton, he deserves some spotlight considering how good he is

[@weef5968]

Jalen Brunson/Mitchell Robinson video called “2nd round steals”

[@chadedwards9748]

What happened to kyrie in the bucks series do a video on that please ?

[@limpredator]

do frank ntilikina defense he might be the best defensive guard

[@matthewboettcher6346]

He's an elite defender. He can lock up stars like kyrie, dame etc.

[@voiceofreason2771]

Klay never overcommits on defense and his system for defending 3 point shots leads to almost no fouls ever...strangely reminds me a bit of ron artest on D

[@sydneycole3180]

Voice of Reason yea .... just less physical lol

[@rychan7]

i hope detrick talks about this on the next cookieshoops. major crouch bias

[@raixvortex]

Do kawhi

[@charliebultman7334]

You should do a video on Rudy Gobert questioning if he's really a defensive player of the year candidate or if he's a phony. Is a man who is consistently getting run off the court in the playoffs by small ball lineups really a DPOY? Is a man you puts up a -15 +/- in the playoffs last year really a defensive player of the year. Not to mention he's a career -8 +/- in his career for the playoffs. Is a man who put up a defensive win share of .2 in the playoffs last year really a DPOY? He's not. There are only 4 candidates and that's it. Leonard, Giannis, Beverly and Draymond. Gobert is a pretender! I'm not saying he can't be first team defense. I'm just saying he is not a DPOY candidate.

[@andygiang8944]

regular season award

[@charliebultman7334]

@@andygiang8944 Ok, I'll give you that. But there should be enough information to say hey, we aren't going to give this to you because we know you're going to disappear. I feel the same way about James Harden so I don't want people to think I'm a Gobert hater. I just feel like we know enough to make better decisions.

[@williamblake7386]

thanks a lot for the help. finally someone shows his mediocrity. klay became the most overrated guy in the league, his numbers are bad but people loves the "best 2-way" meme. and he is hella overpaid now. the guy with negative on-off earns as much money as curry. how dumb is that? i heard many scary things about him -warriors are doomed. bc no klay. in every predictions and every next season video. -best 2-way player -he can be the 1st option -top-15 in the league -stepped up when matters most that type of shit pisses me off. media and fans completely ignore all the facts and numbers. they just force memes like parrots. the guy is unable to dribble, pass, rebound and hes slow-minded. and he never ever gets criticised. i call him the goat roleplayer. and i used to like him a lot. and than overrate, overpay and memes happened which is very sad and idk what to do now.

[@sydneycole3180]

william blake a “role player” who averaged 20 ppg sharing the ball with Steph and Klay ? I guess ray Allen and Reggie Miller were “role players” lmao

[@sydneycole3180]

william blake The numbers say he’s very efficient on offense and everyone knows he’s a great defender . I wouldn’t rank him as an elite defender like other two guards ala a Kobe or a Michael Jordan but there’s a reason he’s guarding the opposing teams beat perimeter player usually . As far as his advanced defensive metrics, that’s meaningless nonsense theyve rank James harden as the best two guard defender in the league on multiple occasions.

[@williamblake7386]

@@sydneycole3180 explain his bad on-off record. i guess its enough no need to touch vorp or win shares or pimp, etc. on-off is a direct measurement nothing fictional. and yes, goat roleplayer. he fits any team perfectly, but -unable to be the 1st option -bad second option -good 3rd option -goat 4th option "everyone knows he’s a great defender"? its a meme. watch the video above again, think again. "very efficient"? well kinda 56%ts in playoffs. meanwhile hardens ts is 57.9. but we always hear how harden shrinks right?

[@sydneycole3180]

william blake Who said anything about harden? You’re deflecting lol

[@sydneycole3180]

william blake 5th all star appearance...... “role player” lol. I guess if you aren’t Jordan or Shaq you’re a role player lol

[@stevesteve9899]

Very overrated defender

[@bepe4279]

Steve Steve he just right. I love his on ball perimeter d but he suuuuucks at off ball stuff. And the way he sulks sucks

[@andygiang8944]

@Tripp’le H lmao, smarf>>>>>

[@milto2269]

7:48 when mentioning Iguodala I wished Ben added: "... Who's one of the greatest wing defenders ever..." to highlight that Klay is being replaced by a superior defender. Also, it is funny he only made two all-defensive teams which is absolutely ridiculous. Great analysis as usual though

[@ThinkingBasketball]

I forget that's somehow not a given.

[@ja4309]

Oh yeah. Has the best hands in the league

[@saiwaqa2573]

Klay isn't a sf. Klay is the SG what the fuck is this shit on about... Iggy and klay play on the court together!

[@deandrepage1048]

@@saiwaqa2573 Playing with new teammate, D'angelo Russell. 😀😀 Steph Curry at PG D'angelo Russell at SG Klay Thompson at SF

[@saiwaqa2573]

@@deandrepage1048 Lol, a video before he even plays at SF??? Are you kidding me?

[@Eian_Anderson]

Another reason the metrics say hes bad is that, as you said, he is always lining up with the opponents best guard.

[@joeasuncion2891]

Epic Gamer How is it another reason if he already said it lmao

[@Goose21]

This is an epic gamer analysis moment

[@Eian_Anderson]

@@joeasuncion2891 its because he didn't say that. He said he was better at guarding guards than the rest of the warriors, but he didn't adjusts the advanced stats to adjust for the players he was up against.

[@felixronkainen8880]

Those advanced plus-minus metrics actually do adjust for individual opponent strength, so that's not a factor.

[@alighani2720]

so does every 1st team all defense member and their numbers are still really good. try again.

[@aduad]

Klay usually guards the opposing PG/toughest matchup while also contributing significantly offensively as well...not many other players have this kind of responsibility on a night in night out basis...but to be fair it's mostly his on ball defense I find stellar which is very important considering the types of players he guards!

[@movementman9777]

Alright I wanna see an Dejounte Murray analysis next.

[@keywill1728]

Stalker Bleach here here💯

[@jackabah4279]

I can’t even get FIVE seconds into the vid and I already love it...scaffolding Klay is an underrated Klay

[@devvv4616]

That efg stat is great. It seems like his defense is effective for his purpose/role in the team, which is to contain the star perimeter player as much as he can. Warriors system really maximizes the skill and role their core players have.

[@rayneozier]

As a Warriors fan, I definitely value Klay's abilities on both ends of the court. I would really like to see you do a list of the "best perimeter defenders".

[@allentheskywalker]

“Klay Can be a bit spacey” Yes because it’s probable he’s high asf😭

[@Rose-xm4og]

🤣🤣

[@empathytrail4758]

Could you do john collins next he's incredibly underrated especially in his draft class

[@GodofDisco]

Empathy Trail not saying I disagree but explain

[@RAPeters239]

I would love a video like this. I always hear about him, but I haven't seen the Hawks play too much.

[@empathytrail4758]

@@GodofDisco he has been putting up great numbers this year and is one of the best finishers at his position a lot of people been looking at other drafts but john collins was often overlooked despite doing work he averaged a double double last season with one the highest percentages and he is slowly becoming a star

[@10secviolation]

what area of his defense is underrated? john colliins defense has been awful in the pick and roll, on switches, his man to man to below avg. his paint defense is not great ( low post), transition is brutal.

[@empathytrail4758]

While he does have some defensive lacks he isnt absolutely terrible on that end he has the athleticism and hands to improve simply bashing him for his defense is not fair

[@joelman1989]

Am I the only one who would love to see this sort of analysis on some older players like K Garnett, Iverson, John Stockton, or Hakeem?

[@freakyfridays135]

Got your wish on two of them

[@pm8840]

Can you please do a breakdown for untucked jersey Kyrie

[@leandrorodrigues6540]

Klay is the greatest 3-and-D player of all time.

[@yd856]

Reggie Miller up there.

[@leandrorodrigues6540]

@@yd856 Reggie was probably a better shotter, but he wasn t a elite defensive player like Klay Thompson.

[@yetundeadeyemi2436]

Kawhi

[@leandrorodrigues6540]

@@yetundeadeyemi2436 Klay is a much better 3 point shotter.

[@yetundeadeyemi2436]

@@leandrorodrigues6540 and Kawhi was a much better defender, especially on the perimeter

[@Noe-zz5ef]

Do a video on Michael Jordan’s defense. I’m only able to find highlights of his defense and I feel like breaking his defense down would be interesting.

[@ethangilworth7891]

Read his backpicks GOAT series

[@PTM_97]

CJ McCollum breakdown would be really interesting

[@Richbeans115]

As a Nuggets fan that is sore about Urkel knocking us out of the playoffs I would like to see this too. The guy is so crafty at getting buckets

[@jeffreyxu6430]

Can you do a video of Anthony Davis? I think people forgot how good he was. Another 🔥 video by Ben and is by far the best anylatic channel for basketball

[@BoscoTungWaldo]

Kababy Loadmanagement now he has :)

[@jovanbelegisanin289]

Would you do a video on Mike Conley or Jrue Holiday? This year, both of their numbers have gotten rather close to those of some star point guards in the league, but i am really curious, when broken down to analytics, defense included, how they fare against guys like Kyrie, Kemba, D'lo Russell when it comes to impact metrics.

[@JedenTagNBA]

Great thinking, Ben! I've got a couple of questions regarding Klay in the context of other defending guards: 1. Klay has a lot of tools, as you pointed out. Offensively, he has a much smaller role than most of the other guards (literally no ballhandling or creation). Does that lead to more endurance that he could use on the defensive end? Because he is strictly an off-guard on offense, he can focus on the defensive end. 2. One of your major points is the opponent eFG%. And that looks impressive. But is this stat reliable? As the name points out, it only counts, when the offensive guard takes the shot. If he passes (one of the most common things a lead guard could do) the metric can't account for this. As you showed in the graph Thompson's opponents took significant less shots against him. Well, that could be good - or it indicates, the opponent could find an (open) teammate. Only one metric to back up your eye test seems a little less. Nevertheless, Thompson is a really good defender, but I think, we can't really back that up with metrics in general, because we don't have the tools to evaluate defense on a player level. The lack of reliable metrics is our biggest problem.

[@phothewin6019]

Been wanting to see a video showcasing Klay's D. Thanks.

[@inFamous_Izanagi]

Why you wanting to see Klay's D?👀 sus

[@phothewin6019]

Dikota Williams You heard me.

[@phothewin6019]

Dikota Williams Ain't no problem. Booty is booty.

[@pedroaugustocosta2533]

It's interesting that one of the best off ball offence players ever is a bad off ball defender.

[@TheNatcon1]

I would like to see a video looking at the "best defenders" in the league and seeing how they stack up against each other. Narratives about defense can be really vague and hard to quantify, so if you get a reputation as a defender it often sticks even if not completely warranted.

[@Shaklore]

Can you please do a video on Kawhi Leonard's defense? His reputation places him as one of the best defenders in the league and everyone always talks about him being a lockdown defender, but his advanced defensive metrics haven't lived up to his reputation in the past few years.

[@sydneycole3180]

Thomas Huynh because advanced metrics are often Impacted by your team defense. That’s why joe ingles was ranked the 4th best defender in the league last year

[@Shaklore]

​@@sydneycole3180 Not sure which metric you're looking at, but if you look at NBA Defensive Real Plus Minus (DRPM) Ingles is only ranked 16th among small forwards while Kawhi Leonard was ranked 44th. www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/sort/DRPM/position/5 A lot of people will point to team defense, but I don't think that statement alone explains enough. Ingles is ranked high because the Utah Jazz plays good defense? The Raptors as a team had good defense too. In fact, the Raptors were the 5th best defensive team in 2019.If you look at the top 6 defensive NBA teams of 2019, basically all of their premiere defenders had a good DRPM except for Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson. Giannis, Gobert, Turner, Paul George, Horford, Marcus Smart all had great advanced defensive metrics. stats.nba.com/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&dir=-1 Also a big misunderstanding that many people have is confusing real plus minus for raw plus minus. Raw plus minus is indeed heavily influenced by a team's performance and a player's teammates. Real Plus Minus (RPM) isolates the plus-minus impact of each NBA player by adjusting for the effects of each teammate and opposing player. With a DRPM of 0.02, Kawhi Leonard barely has a positive impact (according to the stat) and is ranked 44th among NBA small forwards. www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/10740818/introducing-real-plus-minus I'm not necessarily saying Kawhi Leonard is a bad defender, but I think his case deserves a deeper explanation than "it's because his advanced stats are impacted by team defense". Also, I want to add it wasn't always this way. Kawhi Leonard ranked 1st in DRPM among small forwards in 2015 and 2016. He was ranked 3rd in 2014.

[@sleepingmedicine.x]

How do you think he’s gonna do coming back off injury having to play small forward?

[@tommyc8638]

You still better then sportcenter. Actual analysis without just idiots yelling at each other or who's more popular like this is real analysis and I respect you bruh

[@henrybuchan4688]

One doesn't get to just pick the advanced metric that most backs up what they think they are seeing. If they do this they might as well not use them at all.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

Klay guards the toughest matchups on the opposing teams and the advanced analytics have him as one of the better on ball defenders in the league

[@henrybuchan4688]

@@Thanosdidtherighthing If I remember correctly my point was that he looked at three different advanced stats that contradicted each other, and then said "eh this one kind of agrees with what I thought before looking at the stats so I'm going to say it's correct". He was using stats like a drunk person uses a lamp post, for support instead of illumination.

[@axlegallardo]

I'd take Klay over Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. Change my mind.

[@fideliocgn]

Like with many players, it's a question of how to use him. Great on-ball defender, weak off-ball defender That's where good coaching and team construction comes into play. The reason why the warriors where so good in the last years.

[@WhatACoolArrow]

Amazing analysis as always. I fucking love this channel, it's also improved my play by improving my basketball IQ and awareness. Thanks for the great content man, we really appreciate it!

[@calebjabez8426]

There are a couple of things missing in the analysis. Golden State is much more than the sum of its parts. Like Draymond's defensive skillset perfectly meshes with that of Klay. Klay not only guards toughest defensive assignment but also wears them out with his constant hustle. That defensive hustle is what makes Klay great and Klay also shepherds the player he is guarding into a Draymond's range where he is likely to provide help defense. Draymond uses Klay's hustle to provide great help defense and blocks and that is where Draymond's intelligence and positioning and hustle make him one of the best defenders in the league. Just like Curry and Klay make each other a lot more lethal when they play together by stretching the floor. Curry and Klay are more than the sum of their parts offensively and Klay and Draymond are more than the sum of their parts defensively.

[@theonlyalecazam2947]

shepherd analogy is great

[@DavidCC35]

I have now thought about 3:30 for a solid 3 minutes.. If that is not teammate goals I dont know what is. Steph just goes to the smaller guy knowing that Klay is able and (even more rare) willing to switch to a much more difficult matchup for the good of the team. This sequence alone should push him to all-D first team

[@10secviolation]

when you guard consistently the best players on every team, and arent caught on switches for opponents to get you off the best player, your defensive ratings and advanced stats will be a product of guarind mainly star players and rarely role players etc. make him look worse than he really is.

[@kobewankenobi8926]

Industrialcurtain not really. Defensive ratings and plus minus are based upon team defense while that player is on the court. The Warriors have been significantly better defensively when klay has been on the bench for years, leading to his terrible advanced metrics. An important factor the video points out is that klay often gets subbed out for iguodala, who is one of the greatest defenders in the league, so it looks like klay is hurting their defense because hes not as effective as iguodala. Regardless, advanced statistics like real plus minus generally minimize the role of teammates when determining ratings and still say klay is a bad defender so we cant pin it all on iggy. The video points out the major flaws in his defense. Klay is a below average off ball defender and a terrible rebounder. This coupled with his great on ball defense makes him an average defender.

[@sergiodiaz2886]

I think he’s number 1. Guys like kawhi and Butler often take the tough assignment only towards the end he takes them while he’s on the floor often 40 feet. While contributing on offense (off ball moving ) while guys like kawhi don’t move off ball .

[@rockie8254]

I bought KT4 LOW for approx. 40USD and I love it.

[@longchen9382]

Klay is a defender that as fast as guard, way taller, stronger, tougher, and have higher IQ and willingness for defense.

[@shubtakesdubs5395]

Another incredibly informative and astonishingly amazing video. Keep up the good work Ben.

[@Icy_Igloo]

Great analysis. I am a big Klay fan but have also noticed that he can lose his man at times. However, to be fair, his primary defensive responsibility is usually to guard the elite (high usage) perimeter players, so whilst he does sometimes make mistakes, most of the time he is adding great defensive value. In short, I believe that the sum of his value defensively far exceeds the impact of his mistakes which is why he is so highly regarded.

[@mikekorsak373]

Overall, objective, with data to support, Klay can always improve, the shady foul leading to his injury against Toronto, side comment here - not cool, but Klay is solid, humble, versatile, and most important - my favorite NBA playa! #MVP

[@DaPoptartLord]

I’d rate him as an Above average defender

[@nedzhminedkov1159]

Can you please do a video on Steph's underrated defensive he is a better defender than a lot of guards like Lillard, Kemba, Kyrie and Westbrook

[@BkBenji.]

Curry is not a better defender then Lillard, Kyrie, or Westbrook, just stop.

[@nedzhminedkov1159]

@@BkBenji. yes he is going by defensive stats or the eye tes. Lillard and Kyrie are worse defenders than him

[@NationOfChalcol]

I'm on the same boat, think hes well above average actually

[@nedzhminedkov1159]

@@NationOfChalcol yeah he is not no damn defensive liablity like the Media potrays him

[@dennischacko499]

Really enjoyed this video because it's easy to get wrapped up in how a player looks with on ball defense but team defense, especially for guards is mostly recognizable in hindsight.

[@benk.9608]

Can you do a video over Zion and what you project he could be in the NBA?

[@emkast8257]

Just make sure klay is defending on ball and you'll be all set

[@keepitprivate91]

i wish this guy was the one working on 2k player rankings

[@fabolousninenine30]

The only player in the whole league that can fit into every team PERFECTLY. ZERO ego, sometimes to a fault, can dribble decently and functions off ball.

[@geoffreybenedict2075]

When I was trying to teach my daughter how to use her length well on perimeter defense, I showed her videos of Klay Thompson. Clicked as soon as I saw this video.

[@joeyd4079]

Just saying Klay was absolutely big dicking kawhi in the finals and you're kinda acting like he's a bum. He was the best player on the court with the toughest defensive assignment on the court. Alot of what you said sounds opinionated and not factual dude does not just give up on plays . He travels more court space on offense than most everyone in the league and he always has the toughest d assignment. Not to mention his minutes played are usually higher than anyone else on the warriors. Some of your stuff you took from very small examples and blew it up alot bigger than it was I've watched almost every game for 5 years now and I just don't see how you could say he gives up on plays.

[@donaldhutchison4652]

You need to be making videos weekly. Straight heat and always something to look forward to watching

[@stevenfoote19]

Great video and music as usual! Really looking forward to a Porzingus video! Curious about his longevity and health with his play style.

[@raginasiangaming910]

Last offseason, I wanted my beloved Celtics to throw everything at Klay Thompson. The idea of a Smart-Thompson backcourt was intriguing, pairing Smart with another high level defensive guard who also happens to be a great shooter. The Celtics would have been able to run Smart-Thompson-Brown-Tatum-Big Man. This lineup would have been a lot of fun to watch and a defensive nightmare. Both Smart and Klay are very switchable, both able to defend much bigger players. Brown and Tatum are both able to generally defend one level up and also quick enough to defend guards. They would be vulnerable to traditional bigs, but with Klay's perimeter firepower and our athletic young core, Boston could very realistically run opposing big men off the floor while playing a smaller defensive 'big' like Theis. Of course it was never going to happen, but with a drought of NBA activity, it's very fun right now to play with the 'what could have been' scenarios.

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

Marcus smart running the point ? Oh no lol.

[@ryanhuestis2955]

You need to make an all defense and all nba teams list. I would like to see how your list stacks up to the NBA’s list

[@mr.anderson1562]

This my fav bball channel rn SOO detailed compared to the other ones

[@lucwijngaard8413]

🐐

[@xyzdragontan]

Can you do a video on the pattrick beverley defensive impact

[@dddiop]

I was just reading about Klay Thompson/Danny Green comparison today so kinda interesting that I got to watch this video too. Was basically saying Klay is clearly a superior on-ball defender but because of how good Danny Green is at actively stopping cutting plays from happening he blows him out of the water in DRPM. "Why is it Danny Green is so much more impactful in DRPM than Klay Thomson when we can clearly see with our eyes Klay is good at defense? The answer is Cutting defense. cutting is the most efficient way for a team to score, so preventing cutting opportunities becomes the most important skill defensily a player could have. Klay Thomason is a great on-ball defender, but we tend not to notice his off-ball defense. While Green is a good, not great on-ball defender but his off-ball preventing cuts is something we never even think about. Still though, because preventing off-ball cuts is so important Danny Green DRPM stats show a far greater impact."

[@sydneycole3180]

dddiop Kobe was elite at both

[@zoominnboomin]

Klay learned everything from Curry. Curry is the best all-around defender in the NBA. When he was a rookie, I saw him shut down Dwight Howard in his prime, in 2012 lockup Miami LeBron, and as we all remember, has led the league in blocks the last ten years. Too bad he can't shoot tho...

[@eliasdejene2779]

Klay is good

[@ml7092]

Analyst like this need to play the game first then analize...

[@JaydashGaming]

What team couldn’t use another 3&D player lol

[@savethetrees1214]

Klay Thompson would be the best 3 and D player in the NBA if it weren’t for Ben Simmons

[@BlueGrovyle]

Yeah, that Ben Simmons just can't miss from beyond the arc.

[@ja4309]

Well Ben Simmons is a great 3 and D player.... Oh wait

[@Tigerex966]

Let him stop playing d and b all offense.

[@jwwilhelmi9670]

Giannis is definitely a better shooter than klay

[@shomoy7396]

I hate GSW but I like Klay

[@allbluedream]

It helps that Klay is usually matched up with opposing guards who are way more of a threat on ball than off ball, so his off-ball weaknesses don't get exposed all that much, while his on-ball prowess gets magnified before our eyes

[@nawfqnts8920]

Klay is a good in defense not his offense.

[@yungyayuhz113]

Give me 5 better defensive guards.

[@welpyeet8307]

People think Curry is bad defender and his steals are overrated cuz he's only great at offball defense. With that logic is Klay a bad defender also since he's only great at onball defense who have low rate of stealing the ball?

[@opiniononion]

Sergei Dragunov no, because great on ball defence is great defence regardless of steals

[@yunan9610]

Well, Harden got his fair share of steals and nobody regards him as a great defender, or even defensive player in general for that matter even though he is actually a decent post defender. Perimeter on ball defense is just that important for a guard

[@alexwong5852]

Also because it does not take into account that curry gambles more for steals, but there is not a stat for missed steals

[@welpyeet8307]

@@opiniononion so pretty much all consistent great offball defender is a bad defender even if you led the league in steals?

[@welpyeet8307]

@@alexwong5852 I think he husstle more than gamble he have high rebounding rate for his size and position

[@clarkpedican5766]

If you look very Carefully on most of those Blown Plays by Klay Thompson, he is Not a Convinced Designated help Defender. In other Words, I got my Man, so it's not My Problem if my Teammates Opponent Blows By my Teammates. If It is his Primary Focus to Play Defense, sure Klay will Move up in the Rankings in All Defensive Categories but I think Klay Primary Concern, is Dropping Buckets, while Playing Some or Enough Defense to be Recognized as a Good Defensive Player and not a Great Defensive Player, just as the Video is Suggesting.

[@zoominnboomin]

He is a really good defender but he isn't an elite one on one perimeter defender.

[@des0163]

Please do Lauri Markenan

[@jamestrickingtonIII]

Klay be smoking that shit

[@deandrepage1048]

Defenders should cut-off penetration. 😞😞😞 Klay Thompson runs along the side for a shot-block. D'angelo Russell must replace Klay during rehab from ACL injury.

[@fishtank7576]

I really love Klay but this video exactly explains why I don't love him being at the 3 and that they should still look into trading D-Lo after this season. When he's going against smaller guards/nonathletic fowards on the perimeter, he's amazing. His size, strength, and plus still being quick on his feet really disrupts them but when he comes back, he's gonna literally have to guard every team's best 3/4. So on some nights that means he has to guard Kawhi, PG, Lebron, AD, Giannis, etc. and that's literally asking way too much for a guy coming back from an ACL tear.

[@DeMondDicE]

What is a reaching foul

[@deez9805]

So basically what this video says to me is if Klay had even slightly above average athleticism, he’d be in convo for DPOY every year. Almost all of his “flaws” are due to his lack of athleticism and not necessarily anything wrong with his technique. All that being said, top 5 SG in the league

[@gremcilia_immermurin]

I'm surprised about the assessment of Klay being able to body bigger players but got completely abused by LeBron in the Finals that they had to force Iggy to switch to LeBron every time. And this video really coincides with bballbreakdown's assessment of Klay's D as well: that he's a great on-ball defender but a really poor off-ball one.

[@deandrepage1048]

The addition over Kevin Durant drowned Klay Thompson out more than anybody. Now he has to wait until February to recover from injury. GSW are still a target, bust you must beat them down every game that you can

[@vrnclr1189]

You should be making minimum 10 min vids to get the multiple ads your content deserves. You have a few that are just shy of it which should change. This is the best analytics driven NBA channel in KZbin. Get paid, sir.

[@rygesa]

I dont think Klay uses his hands enough. He always has them raised even on drives to the cup which is overall a good thing but a guy like Pat Bev uses his hands to touch up his man, slow them down, make them feel you even more than just with the body and, of course, better steals chances plus his man has to worry more bout protecting the ball and might be less aggressive.

[@zachwilliamson13]

I’d love to know how valuable you think ben simmons and giannas are because of their lack of shooting and spacing compared to ball dominant guys like lillard and kemba and steph. Love the channel!

[@chrissullivan6572]

I love your shit.