Preparing for Klay Thompson’s Comeback Season

In one of the deepest NBA drafts in recent memory, one of the least-surprising picks was the Golden State Warriors selecting Moses Moody out of Arkansas at #14. The team was long speculated to be interested in what a win-now two-way guard like Moody could do for them in the short term, and with Chris Duarte from Oregon (another name the Warriors were tied to ahead of the draft) going the pick before to the Indiana Pacers, Moody seemed like an inevitable addition. Moody’s a good two-way player, but he lacks shot creation or playmaking abilities beyond his catch-and-shoot capabilities.

What was a little more of a surprise for the Dubs was their selection of Jonathan Kuminga at #7, selecting someone that a lot of people see as a much rawer prospect. Detractors of the Kuminga pick believe his 24% from beyond the arc in the G-League bubble for Ignite, lack of team creation and effort are symptoms of a project player which doesn’t fit as well with the current championship window.

Kuminga and Moody do, in spite of their downsides, give the Warriors something they’ll need in the short-term: A lifeline to ease Klay Thompson back into the rotation. Thompson is returning from an Achilles injury suffered during rehabilitation of his torn ACL suffered in the 2019 Finals, and while there are outliers, it’s a rarity that a player comes back the same from a torn Achilles. Kevin Durant so far is one of the only exceptions. While guys like Wes Matthews and Rudy Gay are still important contributors in the NBA, none of them had a season after their injuries quite like KD. Given more time to recover, it’s possibly that Thompson can join his former teammate, which is exactly what the Warriors did with the 2021 NBA Draft. There’s even a possibility they won’t need him to be back full-strength.

While Kuminga has a few shortcomings, he projects as one of the best defenders in his class. Boasting a frame of 220 pounds and a 7-foot wingspan at 6’8, he’s been praised as a player who can guard positions 1-4 and is a hard-nosed rebounder in the paint, even against bigger centers. His offensive game is still developing, but he’s an explosive athlete and already attacks the basket well with a good first step. At a baseline, he’ll be a capable defender at the next level as he’s able to play physical, helping Golden State’s 5th-ranked defense last season. Moody is believed to be more NBA-ready skill-wise, shooting 35% from three in college and more importantly, 81% from the line. While not particularly explosive or creative off-the-dribble, Moody slides into a catch-and-shoot 3&D role very similar to what Klay Thompson was accustomed to torching teams as, including the ability to hit contested shots and utilize simple moves like pump fakes and jab steps to create space. He has room to grow as a self-capable scorer due to lacking versatility in his attack, although he’s a good screen-setter and defensively will add a lot of value at the wing position much like Kuminga, boasting his own 7-foot wingspan at 6’6 and 210 pounds. Moody will also open up the floor more, with the ability to hit shots stretching defenses out and punishing teams harder for doubling Steph Curry.

The short answer for how these skills translate to helping ease Thompson back in is that they add defensive value, extra buckets (Kuminga’s ability to take it to the basket and Moody’s shooting from outside), and rebounding at positions the Warriors sorely need in the current roster construction. The long answer is that Kuminga and Moody slide into the 2 and 3 spots on the Warriors roster very well, their defensive versatility allowing them to shore up the holes that might appear when Thompson sits in longer stretches and alleviating the defensive load he takes on when he does play. They give the Dubs a lot of options to put pressure on the defense which allows for Klay to not have to carry as much of a scoring burden as well. The addition of these two wings lets the Warriors utilize their bench units more often, as Moody and Kuminga will be beneficiaries of Jordan Poole’s growing ability to run the offense when Curry sits, while covering up his weakness on the other end. The more time the Warriors can run their bench units, the less time Klay is needed on the floor, which will keep his minutes manageable as the team eyes a playoff run.

In addition to the draft picks, which have the added benefit of fitting with the Warriors’ timeline down the road with James Wiseman and their other young guns, the team has recently been tied to free agent swingman Nicolas Batum, coming off a 40% shooting season from three-point range. Batum is a solid defender at the wing position and is a veteran presence the Warriors could make use of with their relatively-young roster. It’s been rumored recently that Andre Iguodala could be returning this season too, adding more weapons at the position. The most important thing the Warriors can do right now is address team need while making sure Klay Thompson’s road to recovery is a short and swift one. Veteran presences from free agency to complement the current core will be key in helping the team build back to championship status. So far, the roster construction looks markedly improved over last year, and with continued growth from Andrew Wiggins, Wiseman and Poole, the present and future are bright in the Golden State.