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Klay Thompson Vs Kawhi Leonard: Ranking Top-5 3-And-D Players In The NBA

By Sai Mohan

Nov 11, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the basketball against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2, left) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 113-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the basketball against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2, left) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 113-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

5. J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith doesn’t get much love.

With LeBron James and Kyrie Irving leading the way, it’s easy to forget that Smith shot a career-high 43 percent from long distance during the postseason and played lockdown D at the other end.

Smith is a rhythm shooter. Earlier in his career, he developed a notorious reputation for being an inconsistent and streaky shooter.

There’d be nights when Smith would sink 5 of 10 threes and others when he’d go cold turkey. Even now, Smith’s hot hand comes and goes, a trait that teammates and coaches have accepted.

Key Stats

Catch-and-shoot made threes
Rank: 2nd (2.2 per game)

Overall attempted threes
Rank: 11th (6.6 per game)

3-Pt field goal percentage
Rank: 17th (40 percent)

Points per touch
Rank: 19th (0.332)

Spot-Up made field goals (Total)
Rank: 4th (132 out of 317 possessions)

Defense: 3-Pt shots contested
Rank: 10th (3.2 per game)

*(Minimum qualification: Starters, 60 games, 30 minutes per game)
* 2015-16 Stats: Courtesy: NBA.com/Stats

But playing alongside James, Smith has become more than just a shooter. He’s become a smart operator who knows how to move without the ball, distract defenses and spot up with precision.

Today, he’s arguably the third most efficient catch-and-shoot exponent in the league after Klay Thompson and J.J. Redick.

During his days in Denver and New York, Smith wasn’t known for his defense.

But since he was traded to the Cavs in Dec. 2014, Smith has emerged as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

So much so that James lauded Smith’s defense during the Cavs’ championship parade.

After helping Cleveland win Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Smith revealed that his daughter taught him to sacrifice offense for defense.

"“I always talked about playing good defense but I never did it. It always turned into if I played well on offense, I felt I did a good job. This year I decided I was going to let how I played defense dictate how I played.”"

Smith allowed Klay Thompson to make only 21 out of 60 attempted threes during the seven games of the Finals. He stepped up to the plate.

Notable omissions:

Andrew Wiggins
Reason: Poor three-point field goal percentage (30)

Danny Green
Reason: Making 75 fewer threes than 2014-15 season (three-point percentage plummeted from 42 to 33)

Chandler Parsons
Reason: Outstanding three-point shooter (41 percent) but poor defensive metrics.

Jimmy Butler
Reason: Poor three-point field goal percentage (31 percent)