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Ranking The Top NBA Players By Age: Age 26

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 31, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) in the second half at Toyota Center. The Warriors won 114 to 110. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) in the second half at Toyota Center. The Warriors won 114 to 110. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after a three point basket against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson’s numbers pale in comparison to Harden’s, but when you factor in the edge he holds with his three-point efficiency, his defensive skill set and in the team success category, there’s no other option than to place Thompson higher on this list.

On the season, the Golden State Warriors‘ second Splash Brother is averaging 22.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 three-pointers per game. He’s shooting 47.1 percent from the floor, 42.8 percent from three-point range and 87.1 percent from the foul line — uber-efficient percentages that are absurd considering he’s taking 8.1 three-pointers per game.

On the defensive end, Thompson remains a lockdown defender. Even though Stephen Curry is a far better defender than people give him credit for, it’s still true that Thompson often assumes the burden of the more difficult assignment in defending the opponent’s backcourt.

The threat of Thompson on the perimeter makes it impossible for teams to defend the Warriors’ penetration and cunning ball movement, and as the No. 1 option on a different team, there’s no telling what kind of numbers he might be putting up.

Given his intrinsic role on quite possibly the greatest NBA team of all time, Thompson’s value extends far beyond the basic numbers that would generally favor Harden in a head-to-head comparison.

Next: No. 1