The Thompson and Green Disrespect Continues

Three championships in five years, five straight Finals appearances, and an 84% winning percentage-- Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have had a historical five-year run.

Green, acting as the Warriors' heart and hustle and sometimes their most valuable player, has been a unique piece to the Warriors' dynastic puzzle. The same can be said for Thompson, who's shooting is elite in an all-time sense, and ACL injury seemingly held the Warriors' back from their possible fourth championship in five years.

Green and Thompson are generational talents and future Hall of Famers-- that much is clear. What is still unclear is whether or not the basketball world fully appreciates their contributions. Despite their accolades, winning percentages, and in-game domination, their value is again questioned by fans and analyst alike.

Chris Weber, among other analyst, has been vocal about his pinions of Green's abilities. Following a Warriors' playoff victory in 2018, Weber expressed that he feels that Green is not a superstar, and on some teams, may not even start.

"If he was on other teams and expected to score, he might not be in the starting lineup on some teams," Webber said.

Green was asked about Weber's comments immediately after the game.

"If I did have a scorer's mentality, it would throw all of this off. I've been an All-Star twice averaging 11 points," Green told Ben Gollicver of NBA.com. "He can't find many GMs or coaches saying I wouldn't start. My jewelry fit well."

Similarly, Thompson's historical value was dismissed by NBA producers and analysts when the All-Decade Team was composed by NBA.com-- excluding Thompson from the list of 15 players.

Similar to the All-NBA Team, the All-Decade Team was composed of 15 players one from each "position." The first team included: Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant. The second team has Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, and Carmelo Anthony. The third team is Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Paul George, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This go around it wasn't an All-NBA-esque compilation that belittled Green and Thompson's greatness; it was a ranking made by ESPN. The sports network ranked the top 100 players in the NBA, ruffling a few feathers in the process. In their list, Klay Thompson was ranked 49th, behind Bojan Bogdanovic, while Draymond Green was ranked 38th behind Kyle Lowry.

Many believe that Thompson's ranking is subsequent to his injury and in turn his foreseen recovery time. Green's, on the other hand, is puzzling-- considering he is healthy and coming off of a dominating postseason. Green fell 22 spots from where he was last ranked before the 2018-19 season kicked off.

For this to happen, you would think that he would've had some type of regression statistically or an injury, but neither is the case. Last season, Green received NBA All-Defensive second-team honors and finished in the top 20 among all players in total assists. In the postseason he stepped his play up tremendously.

In the postseason he averaged 13ppg, 8 apg while shooting 49% from the field. To put numbers into perspective, in the Western Conference Finals Green was able to outplay all-star Damien Lillard in the final minutes of each game, propelling the Golden State to sweeping the Blazers.

Green's versatility, offensively and defensively, makes him an elite player-- making the Warriors' the juggernaut they have been.

The same can be said for Klay Thompson, who has been arguably one of the most devastating spot up shooters of the decade. Who can forget the night in 2016 when he scored 60 points against the Pacers despite dribbling just 11 times and possessing the ball for a total of 90 seconds?

Or the 2019 NBA Finals, there were 2:22 left in the third quarter of a back and forth Game 6 in the NBA Finals. The Warriors were down 3-2 against Kawhi Leanord and the Toronto Raptors. Klay Thompson led the Warriors' charge with 28 points on just 12 shot attempts. Then tragedy struck, Thompson landed awkwardly after being fouled by Toronto's Danny Green on a dunk attempt. Thompson, not knowing at the time, had torn his ACL. He was ruled out for the rest of the game, and the Warriors went onto to lose.

While anything could've happened, the basketball world has come to the consensus that if Klay Thompson doesn't tear his ACL, the Warriors would've pushed for a game seven where they most likely would've pulled things out—winning their fourth NBA Championship in 5 years.

While Thompson was leading the Warriors in scoring during that particular do or die game, he has had numerous series altering performances that led the Warriors past formidable opponents throughout their five-year run.

In 2016 he outplayed Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and, in some analysts eyes, his teammate the unanimous MVP Stephen Curry. This was the Western Conference Finals Game 6, where the Warriors were, once again, down 3-2. Thompson pulled out 41 points, draining 11 3-pointers, keeping the Warriors' season alive.

Thompson has also outplayed the likes of Chris Paul, Mike Conley, and Damien Lillard in the Warriors' five-year run-- all players who have been ranked above him-- often playing a pivotal role in shutting opposing point guards down defensively and hitting daggers in the crunch.

When one player can alter series, practically NBA history, you have to assume that that player has immense value to that team and the history of the league. Legends aren't made in the regular season. Game highs can make it onto an "On This Day" clip on ESPN's The Jump, but the real historical moments come in the playoffs. Thompson has engraved his name in playoff history every year since 2015… half of this decade.

Yet, ESPN.com still ranked Thompson 49th on their top 100 NBA Players list-- having players like Bojan Bogdanovic, and Trae Young ranked higher than him.

Even though Thompson doesn't have to carry the load, he still has one of, if not the hardest job of any Warrior. He is expected to score and shut down the other team's best guard. Most superstars do not have that burden. Even the great two-way players like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook do not defend the other team's best players from start to finish. In the Finals, Fred Vanvleet guarded Stephen Curry, and Danny Green defended Klay. Terrance Ferguson had the task of stopping Damien Lillard until the fourth quarter. These stars have role players whose only job is to defend. If they score, then it's a bonus. For Thompson, though, it's an expectation. That is what separates him from other stars who may carry a "heavier" load.

Some believe that Thompson's ranking coincides with his injury, which would mean that players like Victor Olidpo and Kristoff Prozingis wouldn't have high rankings either-- which they do.

In the 90s Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were regarded as the cream of the crop among NBA talent. They played alongside Micheal Jordan-- Rodman also playing with Isiah Thomas--appearing and winning the majority of that decade's Finals. Pippen's numbers weren't overwhelming; he averaged 17ppg off of 47% shooting from the field and 32% 3-point shooting. But Pippen was apart of history. Rodman wasn't much of an offensive threat, but his presence and willingness to do seemingly all of the dirty work made him a Hall of Famer. They may not have had to worry about carrying the offensive load that players like Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon did, but they were fundamental assets to one of the greatest runs the NBA had ever seen. That is undeniable.

In the same sense, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are fundamental assets to the five-year dynastic run the Warriors are on. Just like Pippen and Rodman, in twenty years basketball fans will recall the greatness of the Warriors attributing Curry, Thompson, and Green, the same way fans attribute Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman. That too is undeniable.