Golden State Warriors: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks
By Drew Taylor
Klay Thompson (Pick #11 in the 2011 NBA Draft)
As the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Washington State University, Klay Thompson is considered to be one of the biggest draft steals in recent history.
A 5x All-Star, 3x NBA Champion, 1x All-NBA Defensive Second Team selection and 2x All-NBA Third Team selection, Thompson is the epitome of a “3 and D” guard.
Thompson came into the league hot and quickly solidified himself; an All-Rookie selection, 12.5 points per game and a 41.4 percent 3-point shooting percentage in his debut year begged the belief that he would be a dominant force for years to come.
Though not as dominating as his sidekick Stephen Curry, Thompson was arguably the second-most important player to the 2014-2019 dynasty, a collection of teams that won three NBA titles and broke the regular season wins record.
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His regular season 41.9 percent 3-point percentage is the 4th best all-time for players with 1000 attempts or more.
And though he’s never won an MVP or been selected to First Team All-NBA, Thompson’s absurd records are nothing short of impressive. He holds three records of his own: the most points scored in a single quarter (37), the most 3-pointers made in a regular season game (14), and the most 3-pointers made in a playoff game (11).
Klay’s textbook, picture-perfect shooting form and an incredibly quick release allows him to shoot the ball to perfection. He lacks driving ability but is physical enough to defend the best of the best at a high ability.
As one of the Golden State Warriors’ Splash Brothers, Thompson is considered to be one of the best shooters of all-time despite his occasional inconsistency and tendency to get cold.
After suffering a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, however, Thompson may never be the same player he once was, but hopefully he can return as the dominant, quick-handed shooter we all know him to be.