Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Shooting Guards

By Shane Young

January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
28 of 31
Next
NBA Power Rankings
Apr 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) heads down court after a 3-point basket in the second half of game one of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Warriors won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

4.  Klay Thompson — Golden State Warriors

Thompson has stepped into the shoes as another unexpected surge in the league.  Out of Washington State, the son of Mychal Thompson wouldn’t have been picked to succeed right off the bat in his first three seasons.

Mark Jackson just so happened to take over in Golden State when Thompson was drafted, and he had a vision that he could excel with the best shooting backcourt in the NBA’s long history.

That’s a strong assertion by Jackson, but in no way is it an exaggeration.  Thompson and Stephen Curry continue to be among the league leaders in 3-point field goals AND attempts, with Thompson taking 535 of them just recently.

Off the dribble is where Curry has mastered his game, pulling up from any angle, either corner, turning away and looking at the bench, etc.  Off the catch is how Thompson has earned his money in the last calendar year, attempting the second most catch-and-shoot 3-pointers in the league.  Behind Korver, Thompson took five triples off the catch per game last year, draining right at 40 percent of them.

Just based off 20-24 feet jumpers, only two other players shot a better percentage than Thompson while taking at least 300 shots — teammate Curry, and Jose Calderon.

When you have these type of pure shooters in the league, it’s literally impossible to go away from them when you break down who the best shooting guards are.  It certainly helps that Thompson continues to strengthen his defense and make things tougher on the Clippers and Thunder during their wars on the floor, right?  Ask Chris Paul about the pressure Thompson can bring when he’s given the assignment.

In a matter of no time, the second generation stud will have it all.  Steve Kerr has it hands full, and it may not even be with helping the team win.  It might just be the 3-point shootouts that take place after practice.  Old man can’t win against these guys.