Klay Thompson has enjoyed an active offseason. The veteran guard toured China and the Philippines and has been seen working out with multiple NBA players in recent weeks. However, while the offseason sneak-peeks are always fun, we’re at that point in the summer where sites begin to rank a player’s standing in the NBA.
According to the CBS Sports top 100 players list, Thompson will enter the 2023-24 season as the 67th-best player in the league, a significant drop from his position as the 49th-best this time last year.
Here’s how CBS Sports came to place Thompson in his latest position:
“First and foremost, he was able to stay on the court for 69 games, and his numbers basically returned to where they were before the injuries. Thompson became the only player besides Damian Lillard and fellow Splash Brother Steph Curry to average at least 20 points and four 3-pointers per game in a single season while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Thompson’s once-All-NBA-level defense has expectedly regressed, and his shooting inside the arc has taken a dive, but he’s still an elite 3-point shooter and dangerous offensive weapon.”
Thompson was last named as an All-Star in 2019. The veteran guard will likely be looking to prove he’s still capable of performing at an elite level in the coming season. Of course, in order to add another All-Star appearance to his resume, Thompson will need to rediscover his lock-down perimeter defense without allowing his consistent shooting to slip.
At 33, Thompson is slowly moving away from his prime years and into the twilight of his career. However, if his final seasons in the NBA are half as successful as his earlier ones, he will add at least one more championship ring to his collection.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1434 tag=1365]