Klay Thompson would likely be the best shooter on any of the 29 other rosters besides the Golden State Warriors. Yet despite falling second to Stephen Curry, Thompson could likely wind up not only as the second-best shooter in franchise history, but in NBA history, according to Draymond Green.
“100 percent,” said Green, when asked of Thompson's prospect of winding up as the second-best shooter ever, according to Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle.
The road to keep his name up there hasn't been easy for the 6-foot-7 shooting guard, mired in a career-worst shooting slump through the first two months of the season. Through late December, he shot just 33 percent from long range, putting a streak of seven straight seasons shooting above a 40 percent clip in peril.
As it stands now, Thompson has gotten back to his sharpshooting ways, donning a robust 40.4 percent for the season and going hand-in-hand with Curry as the only two players to shoot 40 percent or better through each season of their careers.
As for head coach Steve Kerr, a renowned marksman in his own right, seeing Thompson repeat the same shooting motion in practice throughout each game of their near-four seasons together, is now easier to marvel at.
“I think his jump shot is about as pure as I’ve ever seen, mechanically,” said Kerr. “It’s just unbelievably balanced and squared. I call him ‘Iron Byron,’ if you’re a golfer (a machine named after the picture-perfect swing of longtime golfer Byron Nelson). He’s a machine that just repeats the same motion over and over.”
Thompson might not get into as many highlight reels as Curry does in a regular basis, but he's on pace to surpass the all-time 3-point king Ray Allen by the age of 34, likely following the footsteps of his teammate Curry, who will likely have surpassed Allen by then.
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