Warriors: Are we sure a Klay-for-Giannis trade would work?

From the Warriors’ perspective…

Here’s an outlandish analogy for you:

Taking Klay out of Steve Kerr’s system is like taking Kelly Rowland out of Destiny’s Child. Sure, Stephen Curry would still play the role of Beyonce, but the subtly different sound of Rowland’s chords and the individual swagger she possessed brought an entirely new dimension to the group. The same goes for a Klay-less Warriors: Without him, the Dubs become infinitely less ferocious.

Though Curry is a nightmare-and-a-half to guard, he is even more impossible to stop when defenders also have to keep track of the continually moving Thompson. Without the spacing Thompson provides, the floor quickly shrinks, which leaves Curry double-teamed and dramatically limits the opportunities for the offenses fabled, wide-open lay-ups.

Thompson is no slouch on the defensive end, either. He guards and even occasionally locks down the opposing team’s best ball-handler on a nightly basis, thus alleviating the defensive pressure from the smaller Curry. This allows Curry to focus on the offensive side of the ball. In a way, the two are a perfect complement to one another’s game. It should be no surprise that the Warriors have proven to be a better team with Thompson in the lineup.

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Aside from the loss of Thompson, many people seem to believe that Giannis would fit nicely within the Warriors system. While I am sure the team would eventually figure it out—after all, Steph and Giannis are two of the best eight players alive—this would be far from a ‘Kevin Durant to Golden State’ situation.

Giannis, though an improved shooter, is not even close to where Durant was in regards to a full offensive repertoire. Giannis is physically dominant from 18-feet in, but the spacing issues that a Klay-less Warriors team feels would be amplified with Antetokounmpo on the court. Durant, on the other hand, could give you a bucket in whichever way he pleased.

Whether it was a post-up, a crossover followed by a pull-up 30-footer, running off of a screen into a catch-and-shoot situation, designed isolation, backdoor cuts, driving to the rim and dunking on his defender’s head, or finessing his opposition down low with his length, Durant was utterly unstoppable in the Warriors offense.

Giannis, on the other hand, is notably more limited in his abilities.

I cannot deny that the thought of Giannis and Steph running the break is terrifying. More importantly, Giannis’ obsessive work ethic and by-example leadership style would be perfect for the young nucleus of players the Dubs are currently developing. But to say a Warriors team of Giannis, Steph, an older Draymond, a recurrent no-show in Wiggins, and a group of highly inexperienced role players would immediately become title favorites? Five years ago, maybe. But now? Not in today’s NBA.