Golden State Warriors: Is Klay Thompson Better Than Kobe Bryant?

There’s no doubting the fact that Klay Thompson is one of the top shooting guards in the league, especially when we consider he’s just 24 years old and is getting better. With all of that said, Thompson’s agent opened a can of worms when he made the statement that his client is better than Kobe Bryant. Well…..is he?

Sam Amick of USA Today wrote a piece that quoted Bill Duffy (Thompson’s agent) as saying the following:

"I don’t want (Los Angeles Lakers star) Kobe Bryant to go crazy, but there’s some uncertainty as to who he is right now (because of injuries that limited him to six games last season). But I think Klay Thompson right now is the top two-way, two-guard in basketball. I think when you look at his body of work, when you look at what he accomplished guarding point guards on a regular basis (last season), I think it’s pretty clear."

I’m not the biggest Kobe fan in the world (nor am I the biggest Klay fan), but I’m going to have to advise everyone to pump the brakes a bit on this one.

First off, making a statement that a 24-year-old guard who is entering his prime is better than a 36-year-old who is coming off of two major surgeries isn’t exactly a groundbreaking statement. There’s no need to sugarcoat it — Bryant sucked in his limited time last season…yet still put up 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 29.5 minutes per game.

Thompson outscored Kobe (playing 35.4 minutes per contest) but that’s it. Thompson put up 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and .9 steals per game. At Kobe’s absolute worst, he outproduced Thompson in the basic stats.

Now, if you want to consider the worst-case scenario that Bryant is going to be closer to that player than the one who averaged 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 2012-13, then we can at least make the argument that Thompson is the better scorer (and shooter), but still — not the better overall player.

Since basketball is a two-way game, let’s take a gander at their defensive skills. Thompson is most likely the more athletic (again, 12 years younger helps), with Bryant being the seasoned veteran with a much higher drive and basketball IQ.

Kobe is a few seasons removed from his last All-Defensive team, but he did make the team 12 times. Klay is such a good defender that he’s made the team….(crickets)….never.

According to 82games.com, Thompson allowed opposing shooting guards to put up a paltry 12.4 efficiency rating against him. That’s impressive. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he was surrounded by one of the premiere perimeter defenders (Andre Iguodala) and an elite rim defender (Andrew Bogut), but I digress. Kobe allowed his opposition to put up a 13.6 rating, which is not exactly bad.

 But seriously….better than Kobe? Is Duffy advising the Eric Bledsoe negotiations too?

The reason for this statement is simple. Klay and his agent want a maximum extension (who doesn’t these days) from the Warriors and they’re trying to position Thompson as the premiere player at his position.

There’s no concrete evidence that Thompson is the better player right now, even with Bryant coming off of those surgeries. Luckily, the Warriors realize that and hopefully they don’t cave to Thompson’s demands before the season begins.

If Golden State doesn’t sign Thompson to an extension before October 31, Klay will become a restricted free agent on July 1, 2015. There’s no risk for the Warriors in waiting. If Thompson continues to evolve and becomes a Kawhi Leonard-like stopper with a better offensive game, then they can break the bank next summer.

But seriously….better than Kobe? Is Duffy advising the Eric Bledsoe negotiations too?