Hoops Habit mock draft for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game
Klay Thompson
When constructing a team, especially one of this magnitude, it’s important to make sure the pieces all fit together in a cohesive way. It’s easy to simply draft the best player available with each turn, but it’s better to make sure each selection complements the rest of the team to maximize production.
Klay Thompson has played a massive role in three championship teams because of his ability to play both ends of the floor. His shooting is some of the greatest we’ve ever seen. Just a sliver of space is all that’s needed for him to get off a clean look, and he’s also gotten better at putting the ball on the floor as well.
He’s also developed the reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders in the game. While some do it with their size and length, Klay simply shuffles his feet again and again, and he does it on a nightly basis against some of the game’s best.
It sounds like an insult, but I think of Thompson as the best 3-and-D player in the league today. He doesn’t care if he shoots the ball five times or 15. He’s going to shut down whoever you tell him to and space the court with his lethal jumper at the other end, and we all know the avalanche that can follow a couple of made shots.
On a team with so many guys accustomed to being the main attraction, it’s nice to not have to worry about at least one of them when it comes to shot and minute distribution, especially when he has the ability to impact the game in big ways at both ends.