2023/2024 NBA THREAD: WHO WANTS TO GO ON PARADE?!?

**GiBo** · 12-20-2023, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by nest

Coattails Klay. Fourth best player on the team for 3/4 of the championships. Dude is/was seriously overrated.

Originally Posted by Brock Landers

Klay Thompson is an absolute passenger. Always has been.

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

This is why I’ve mostly checked out on this thread. Never go full retard. I sincerely hope you’re just trolling.

I'm with you J. While he's definitely slowed down, these comments are FR. I guess defense doesn't matter.

**Danno** · 12-20-2023, 10:44 AM

Klay is a fantastic player. One of the greatest shooters of all time, and in his prime a fantastic perimeter defender.

That said, I do think it is hard to evaluate how truly great he is/was when he's playing next to the greatest shooter of all time. It's easy to see how good Dray is, because his skill set is so differently than Curry's, and what he does doesn't "benefit" by Curry's presence on the court. Whereas Klay has a skill set much much more similar to Curry, and clearly benefits from Curry being on the floor. That said, he has blown up enough times, and enough times with Curry on the bench, to make it clear that he was a badass in his prime.

But any Ws fan has to accept that he's always going to be viewed as the Scottie Pippen, and his greatness will always be hard to measure without reference to Curry. Klay is great, full stop. But how great, how does he rank against the all-times? That is always going to be a hard one.

**AdironRider** · 12-20-2023, 10:46 AM

Klay is certainly a decent player, but without Steph being the defensive focus and the resulting open shots Klay has received over his career, you are having a different conversation about his legacy. That is a straight up fact but homers gotta homer.

**BmillsSkier** · 12-20-2023, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by cat in january

Mitchell is going to tire of carrying the load. Lots of rumors saying he wants out after his contract is up

Yeah, it’s going to be hard on him for sure. Those rumors have been going on since he got traded to Cleveland and mostly because the four letter network would like to see New York get a star player.

Problem is, he’s under control for 2 years and no way in hell are the Cavs giving up their star player in addition to all those picks they gave up to get him.

**The Reverend Floater** · 12-20-2023, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

Klay is a fantastic player. One of the greatest shooters of all time, and in his prime a fantastic perimeter defender.

That said, I do think it is hard to evaluate how truly great he is/was when he's playing next to the greatest shooter of all time. It's easy to see how good Dray is, because his skill set is so differently than Curry's, and what he does doesn't "benefit" by Curry's presence on the court. Whereas Klay has a skill set much much more similar to Curry, and clearly benefits from Curry being on the floor. That said, he has blown up enough times, and enough times with Curry on the bench, to make it clear that he was a badass in his prime.

But any Ws fan has to accept that he's always going to be viewed as the Scottie Pippen, and his greatness will always be hard to measure without reference to Curry. Klay is great, full stop. But how great, how does he rank against the all-times? That is always going to be a hard one.

To get clear, Klay is a great player and to say otherwise is indeed FR.

But the dude ain't Scotti Pippen, either.

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**Mustonen** · 12-20-2023, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

To get clear, Klay is a great player and to say otherwise is indeed FR.

But the dude ain't Scotti Pippen, either.

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I’d say the analogy is apt, even if the comparison is not.

And at his best, I’m not sure the comparison wasn’t actually apt. But that was never really sustained.

**Danno** · 12-20-2023, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

To get clear, Klay is a great player and to say otherwise is indeed FR.

But the dude ain't Scotti Pippen, either.

He's a totally different player and I was not trying to get into any "is Klay as good as Pippen" any more than I was trying to say "Steph is as good as Jordan," sheesh. It's a general analogy for a great player that plays in the shadow of an even greater player, and will always be viewed in that shadow.

**Adolf Allerbush** · 12-20-2023, 04:30 PM

Klay's pretty unique...from a talent perspective and to his role on the team. I was thinking maybe his comp is Ray Allen on the Celtics or even the Heat? But I think Klay's defense was better on the championship teams and his shooting is about equal, maybe better. Regardless, he's a very important component on the Ws championship teams IMV, so the idea that he's merely a "passenger" seems a bit harsh.

**Danno** · 12-20-2023, 05:04 PM

isn't the notion that Steph is carrying Klay the same thing that got Jordan Poole decked by Draymond? Didn't Poole call Dray Steph's backpack or something like that?

**54-46** · 12-20-2023, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Adolf Allerbush

Klay's pretty unique...from a talent perspective and to his role on the team. I was thinking maybe his comp is Ray Allen on the Celtics or even the Heat? But I think Klay's defense was better on the championship teams and his shooting is about equal, maybe better. Regardless, he's a very important component on the Ws championship teams IMV, so the idea that he's merely a "passenger" seems a bit harsh.

Ray and Klay comparo seems apt
Klay averaged 3 ppg more in playoffs
Otherwise, very similar stats

https://www.landofbasketball.com/pla...y_thompson.htm

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**54-46** · 12-20-2023, 06:36 PM

Gotta appreciate this PTSD description Re Steph by a Celtics fan

https://www.celticsblog.com/2023/12/...-stephen-curry

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**Danno** · 12-20-2023, 06:37 PM

I agree that the comparison is decent, except Klay is a much better defender. And of course, Allen had a long career as a first option, so his PPG through 11 seasons would surely be higher than Klay's, and his PPG in the playoffs is dragged down by the fact that much of his playoffs came at the tail end of his career when he was a third option or role playing sharpshooter.

**54-46** · 12-20-2023, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Danno

I agree that the comparison is decent, except Klay is a much better defender. And of course, Allen had a long career as a first option, so his PPG through 11 seasons would surely be higher than Klay's, and his PPG in the playoffs is dragged down by the fact that much of his playoffs came at the tail end of his career when he was a third option or role playing sharpshooter.

Saw Ray Allen on the Bucks against the Knicks in MSG. He practically outscored the Knicks in the first quarter. Dude was great player.

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**plugboots** · 12-20-2023, 08:33 PM

I’m not really into comparing and arguing, but Klay basically killed the Thunder once or twice, and when I want to be amazed, I watch the Klay YouTube of his 37 in a quarter.

**skiJ** · 12-20-2023, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by plugboots

I’m not really into comparing and arguing, but Klay basically killed the Thunder once or twice, and when I want to be amazed, I watch the Klay YouTube of his 37 in a quarter.

+1 100% skiJ

**nest** · 12-21-2023, 12:17 AM

Klay being the first option is laughable. Dude cant create his own shot. Even Dubs homers cant argue him being the best player on a team that would finish over .500. Ray Allen was a true number one in his prime

**54-46** · 12-21-2023, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by nest

Klay being the first option is laughable. Dude cant create his own shot. Even Dubs homers cant argue him being the best player on a team that would finish over .500. Ray Allen was a true number one in his prime

Straw man argument. It’s OK, man. Jazz fans have been close but never got the brass ring. Maybe Lauri as a first option will work out. Keep hope alive.

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**Danno** · 12-21-2023, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by nest

Klay being the first option is laughable. Dude cant create his own shot. Even Dubs homers cant argue him being the best player on a team that would finish over .500. Ray Allen was a true number one in his prime

well, last year (IOW, the much-reduced version of Klay, post injury), he still averaged 26.4 points when Steph didn't play. And the Dubs went 12-8 in those games.

**brutah** · 12-21-2023, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by 54-46

Straw man argument. It’s OK, man. Jazz fans have been close but never got the brass ring. Maybe Lauri as a first option will work out. Keep hope alive.

I don't know why you have to bring the Jazz into this.... I also don't know why Dubs homers love to say "straw man argument" all the time.

I think most people agree (besides nest) that Klay is a hall of famer. I would argue he's not an all-time great and his exclusion from the NBA 75 certainly says most NBA analysts agree. He is a great player who saw his career hampered by injury, and he was a large part of Warrior's dynasty.

**brutah** · 12-21-2023, 09:27 PM

Embiid has been amazing this year! 35 ppg, 13 rpg and 6 apg. I still feel like the sixers are one player short so hopefully they can land someone before the trade deadline that will help them win a championship cause he's playing out of his mind.... the way he's able to turn mid to high post and get to the rim right now is unstoppable.

And i told ya'll monty williams was overrated when the pistons hired him. 25 game losing streak after losing to the jazz tonight with fans chanting "sell the team." I was optimistic about Cade going into this season, but I'm selling that stock now. That's rough.