Warriors: Best Defensive Players in Golden State History

By Andrew Ites | Jul 30, 2018

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 08: Klay Thompson /

4. Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson will go down as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, but his outstanding on-ball defense has been a major key to the Warriors’ budding dynasty.

Like Rick Barry, Klay has great length at 6-foot, 7-inches, and he is an incredibly disciplined defender with a very low foul rate.

Thompson has never put up great defensive numbers in steals or blocks, and even the advanced statistics don’t show how good of a defender Klay has been during his career.

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However, he has consistently shut down the opponents’ best offensive guard ever since he came into the league and that is where Golden State’s championship-level defense begins.

Klay will probably never get the credit he deserves for his defense, but that is one of the reasons why he’s been named to two All-NBA teams and he’ll be working on picking up his fourth championship ring next season.

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