Ranking the top 50 NBA players of the 2021-2022 season: 40-31

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Top 50 NBA players: 38. Klay Thompson

Previous Rank: NA

Figuring out where to place Klay Thompson was not easy task. He is coming back at some point this season after missing the last two with injuries to his ACL and Achilles. There is no definitive time when he will actually be back on the court and even when he is, who knows what his body will be able to handle. So why is he so high on the list?

When Thompson is on the court he is a no-doubt All-Star. While the injuries he experienced are physically devastating, much of what makes him special on the offensive end of the floor is not dependent on explosive athleticism. He is on a streak of five straight seasons averaging at least 20 points per game, has never shot under 40 percent from 3-point range and never less than six attempts per game since moving into the full-time starting lineup.

Kevin Durant showed a season ago that a player of that type can come back and keep the same offensive flow. While Durant tends to be the exception to most rules, there is reason to believe that Thompson could pull off a similar return. With the teammates around him to best accentuate his skills this placement felt like an appropriate hedge.