NBA legend and former Warriors front office executive Jerry West may not have had the final say on probably the most important non-trade in the history of the Golden State franchise, but it certainly had immense influence, and without of it, there may not be a dynasty to speak of.
“It wasn’t me,” said West West podcast “Damon, Rat and Kolsky” from 95.7 “because I wasn’t doing business up there. Obviously, I’m a big fan of Klay Thompson. I think there were some people there who had a different opinion because Kevin Love was an attractive player to have because of his ability to spread the pitch, his rebound, his demise – he’s a good player.
“But for me, the perfect player – and he wasn’t that far in his career when it came to this profession – the perfect player for Steph was Klay. He never looks for the spotlight. He just plays. And he’s improved more and more, and frankly, he’s one of the most underrated players in the league who doesn’t have as much love as he should.
“… the decision was made not to trade it, and today you have the best basketball court of the game in those two. And also an incredible player who pays homage to Steph in its own right – as good as Steph in another way, the whole of his game. He’s getting better too. “
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The hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, there is no doubt that the Warriors made the right decision by opting to hang on to Thompson. He has become one of the league’s preeminent shooting guards, with the possibility of illuminating the scoreboard and blocking his defensive task.
He holds the NBA records for the most points in a single quarter (37) and the most 3 pointers in a single game (14). He has been named All-Star in the last five seasons he has appeared, and the fact that he has only been nominated for an All-Defensive team is an indictment against voters.
When the Warriors play an NBA game, Thompson will probably have had at least 18 months to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. The curry will certainly be rested too, and West believes that the Splash Brothers will bring back the Golden State to contention next season.
“So Warriors fans have a lot to expect,” he added. “Two players who are reaching the maximum levels. They have had some injuries. It should be a promising year next year for the Warriors, because if they take a player in the draw that he likes who can give them something different from what they have, they should get back in the running for the opportunity to be one of the best teams in the West again. “
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With a healthy backcourt studded with stars, a choice among the five best projects and multiple useful resources, Golden State has the tools to prove that it was an outlier last season. Thompson’s presence will surely help the Warriors in this effort, and it is frightening to think what it would have been like without him in all these years.
Sometimes the best operations are the ones you don’t do.
