Shoutout to Panda Hank for pulling these.
Klay has been labeled a "defensive liability" these days and while that's always been greatly exaggerated, he looks to be on a mission this year to prove just how exaggerated that was. I think what we’ll see with his defense this season will show just how much his dip defensively had more to do with the Warriors’ roster construction the last couple of years on both sides of the ball – he'll now be playing with two bigs that are legit rim protectors which is an underrated factor when it comes to perimeter defense, ie they can put a lot more pressure on the ball and close out tighter than they would otherwise be able to, & he also won’t have to worry about needing to put up 2nd option-like numbers on the offensive end. He’ll be in a more Steph/KD/Klay type Warriors role, which I think will help him and the Mavs out a lot.
In his post-game media session last night he said the following, which alluded to that:
"It's really nice when you have such great offensive players like Luka and Kai, because you don't feel like you have to shoulder the load as much on that side of the ball, so you can focus on guarding guys…I'm just challenging the ball handler and switching on to whoever. I take great pride in guarding."
by taygads
28 Comments
That was actually a lot better than I expected to see.
I think this is wishful thinking, but who knows maybe I’m wrong.
The issue isn’t what Klay does with fresh legs. The issue is what he does down the stretch of a playoff run. Klay wasn’t somehow playing worse defense because the Warriors roster or scheme didn’t allow him to play better defense, the Warriors dribble penetration defense was putrid last year and Klay was a huge part of that.
maybe the Mavericks rim protection makes some of this more allowable, but I don’t think you’re getting a plus defender no matter what.
Could be wrong, but anyone who is looking forward to a season of lockdown defense from Klay is in for a disappointment.
This is on fresh legs. In two months, you will see what you should expect from him. A player with his sorts of injury history and age will be able to show flashes of their former abilities, but they will not be able to sustain it because their body can no longer bounce back. Source: Being washed.
He’s not a bad defender, he was once a great defender and has played against the top talent in this league for a long time. He has good awareness, positioning, and communicates well.
His main flaw, similar to his offensive game, is ego. Klay cares a lot, that is one thing evident over the years. He wants to guard the best player, he wants to take tough shots. His success varies. One thing is clear, he cannot keep up with the quick athletic guards today.
Like he said here, being in a simplified role, he is trying to make up the work load defensively. That is not a bad thing, you just don’t want him to be your main POA defender.
like others said, this was with fresh legs and he was still a -19 or so and had no blocks or steals
What in the world does this purport to show? He’s vaguely in the area after sort of recovering from a screen when someone misses a shot?
I feel like we need to take into account the opponent here?
This sub loves propping up old ass washed players
big ups from THJ!
Relax it’s Keyonte George
I hope he can stay healthy this year and make an impact with them.
This is just highlights of the Jazz being bad. I highly doubt Klay Thompson turns back the clock and is locking dudes down.
I’d be so happy if Klay has a great year
I don’t think 18 minutes of preseason defense mean anything
Yall gotta stop till mid season with this. r/nba has a hate boner for us and Klay right now and some preseason clips are not going to change that.
the rim protector part could be big – he may also feel more confident knowing he is going to get 20-30 minutes a game and not be looking over his shoulder. He was at the top of the warriors team in minutes the last few years so fatigue could be a factor. I am skeptical his defense will rise to the occasion but I could be wrong.
I’m prepared to overreact.
That’s some playoff level defense. WTF is Klay doing?
Don’t post anything positive about Klay! Nobody wants to hear that.
These are highlights now? These are just normal move your feet laterally and don’t foul plays that happen on like every possession in every game.
maybe the jazz just suck
Mavs don’t need prime Klay, they just need 3rd best 3 point shooter (which he is capable of on a slump year even) and decent defense.
Mass proved last year that they don’t have to have the best defense, just enough defense to get the job done while still having hot offense.
Now, would that be enough against a Celtics final rematch? Who freaking knows but they’d need a much better kyrie and all the luca magic to win it.
Lowlights of Jazz…
Like to see it, although pre season against jazz not the best sample but he is moving well. I am optimistic about his performance this season
The narrative around this guy has been insane in this sub. he’s still capable on this end. We are going to be good defensively with our wings and rim protection
It’s the preseason man
solid, a bit slower, but solid ..