How good is Klay Thompson? The answer seems obvious to Warriors fans and anyone who takes a passing glance at his impressive per game numbers, but some advanced numbers make it a bit murkier.
Yes, Thompson has blossomed into one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history, but some analytics like PER and WS/48 view him as more of an average player than a perennial NBA All-Star.
Even some defensive metrics like Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) view him in a negative light, which seems preposterous given Thompson’s status as one of the NBA’s best two-way wings, even earning an NBA All-Defensive Team selection in 2018-19.
You could certainly argue that some of those stats don’t accurately approximate Thompson’s value. PER, for instance, only accounts for steals and blocks when assessing defense. So that stat doesn’t measure the full extent of what Thompson supposedly does really well.
The box plus/minus numbers are a bit more baffling, especially considering that he has played on some Warriors teams that have absolutely bludgeoned opponents over the last few years.
But even numbers like that can obstruct the full scope of a player since they are still somewhat dependent on team success (though boredom or complacency, the Warriors has gone from really, really good to good enough over the last couple seasons). Plus, Thompson usually guards the opponent’s best offensive player, so that likely plays into the skewered defensive metrics.
That notwithstanding, Thompson has given the Warriors some good value, to the tune of .110 WS/48 in eight seasons in Golden State. Compared to some of the players taken ahead of him in the 2011 NBA Draft — like Jan Vesely, Derrick Williams, Bismack Biyombo, Brandon Knight and Jimmer Fredette — he’s done more than pretty well for himself.