If Golden State Warriors adviser Jerry West is right, this
franchise with aspirations of revival has discovered a new
star.
By Monte Poole – The Oakland Tribune
If Golden State Warriors adviser Jerry West is right, this franchise with aspirations of revival has discovered a new star.
If Donnie Walsh, whose knack for NBA talent evaluation at least approaches that of West, is correct, the Warriors also moved considerably closer to dealing Monta Ellis.
And if both longtime NBA executives are on point, not one Warriors fan would weep over Monta’s departure – assuming they’re OK with swapping the Ellis of today for the Reggie Miller of yesteryear.
Klay Thompson, the 6-foot-7 forward drafted 11th overall by the Warriors on Thursday, has been compared to Reggie Miller. Specifically, Thompson’s shooting has been compared to that of Miller, who made more 3-pointers than anyone in NBA history until this year, routinely led the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs and is a lock for the Hall of Fame.
No matter how much love there is for Ellis among anyone employed by or rooting for the Warriors, and there is reason for plenty, it would be pointless to resist an Ellis trade if Thompson shows signs of blossoming into another Miller.
Just as there was no significant debate among the team’s new brain trust, led by rookie CEO Joe Lacob, regarding the decision to draft Thompson.
“There wasn’t any real dissent, so to speak, as to what we would do there,” general manager Larry Riley said. “He was dominant in being the guy we wanted.”
Though West hasn’t hidden his admiration of Thompson’s game, particularly on offense, it was Walsh, the outgoing Knicks president, who made the Miller comparison after observing the former Washington State star at a June 2 workout in New York.
Walsh carries credibility for a number of reasons, not the least of which being he as Pacers general manager drafted Reggie Miller out of UCLA in 1988.
That Thompson comes with an emphatic stamp of approval by West merely makes him that much more palatable for a team that won’t dramatically improve until it fixes its defense, its frontcourt size and its overall toughness.
The Warriors addressed that in the second round, purchasing the rights to 6-10 center/forward Jeremy Tyler, who was drafted by Charlotte with the 39th pick and has spent two seasons overseas. Beware, though, for the kid who left San Diego High after his junior year in 2009 to play professionally needs to “grow up,” according to Riley.
“It will be a developmental process,” Riley said. “I know this: it’s an NBA-level skill that we’re dealing with.
“I feel like he can make it . . . but there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Thompson, by contrast, is considered a relatively safe pick. It was anticipated the Warriors would take him if he was available, partly because he has an NBA-ready skill. He was involved in a couple off-court incidents that smudged his character, but the general consensus is that they were less about character than immaturity.
Understand, though, pre-draft comparisons for Thompson – for those who chew on those things – ranged far and wide. They include a European player dumped by the Warriors (Marco Belinelli) and a prolific scorer dealt by the Kings (Kevin Martin).
But they also included two Millers, Reggie and shooting specialist Mike. If the thought of Belinelli or Martin as a Warrior doesn’t quicken the pulse, you have to hope Thompson is more like one of the Millers, with a strong preference for Reggie.
That, by the way, preference is shared by Thompson, who appreciates the comparison with Miller but concedes he has not earned such lofty praise.
He cited the similar frames, both long and slender. He cited the Pac-10 background (Miller played at UCLA). He cited the tendency to shoot 3-pointers and the proficiency at making them.
“But I’m not even close to Reggie Miller yet,” Thompson conceded.
Thompson immediately becomes the tall shooting guard the Warriors sought to solidify their backcourt, the rangy complement to starters Ellis and Curry, both of whom measure 6-3. It’s an intriguing trio, designed to give defenders fits.
“We expect to have him as part of the rotation,” coach Mark Jackson said.
As for guards – or anyone else – playing defense, well, that’s for another draft.
Or maybe a trade, which brings us back to Ellis.
Reports and rumors have run rampant for months that the Warriors, despite their denials, were shopping Ellis or at least contemplating trade possibilities. It’s too reasonable to dismiss, because the Warriors in their quest to add quality size realize their most dynamic player almost surely would be part of a deal to acquire that.
Yet the Warriors would have been reluctant to make any such deal without someone who conceivably could replace the scoring void left by Ellis.
With the addition of Thompson, they now consider themselves covered.
