The trendy draft pick to land with the Warriors at No. 11 overall finally worked out in front of Golden State executives. And Klay Thompson, according to a few onlookers, did not disappoint.
The Washington State guard, one of the nation’s top scorers as a junior, showed exactly why he’s considered one of the sleepers in this draft. At Friday’s private, six-player workout at the Warriors facility, Thompson flaunted his premier shooting stroke and high basketball IQ in front of co-owner Joe Lacob, coach Mark Jackson and the entire basketball operations staff.
“It would be amazing to get drafted by the Warriors,” Thompson said after his workout. “They’ve shown a lot of interest “… we’ll see what happens.”
Before coming to Oakland, Thompson worked out for New York, Charlotte, Washington, Indiana, Denver, Phoenix, Cleveland and Milwaukee. He still has workouts scheduled with Sacramento and Utah.
Thompson has seen his stock climb after impressive workouts — starting with a performance in Los Angeles. Warriors executive board member Jerry West was at that workout and, according to insiders, vouched for Thompson with team management.
Thompson said he ranks with the best shooters in the draft, including BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. The Warriors also find other attractive qualities in Thompson.
Listed at 6-foot-7 with a 6-9 wingspan, he would bring much-needed size to the Warriors’ backcourt. Thompson, who played three years in college, also figures to be ready to contribute right away.
That’s important for the Warriors, who can’t trade the No. 11 pick to acquire veteran talent because teams are prohibited from trading first-round picks two years in a row. Their 2012 first-rounder went to New Jersey in the July 2008 trade for Marcus Williams.
What’s more, Thompson is a natural scorer who also can create, which would allow the Warriors to use him as a third guard behind starters Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis.
“I will be overlooked I think as a third or fourth option,” Thompson said. “And I think that’d be perfect for me. Because I don’t think I’m a guy you can leave open that much on the perimeter. So I’d be great at spacing the floor and giving those guys a lot more opportunities to create.”
A major question follows Thompson: Can he defend at the NBA level? For a franchise that is preaching defense, that could determine whether the Warriors select him.
Scouting reports consistently ding Thompson for lacking athleticism and lateral foot speed. But if he shows he has the tools to function in a team defense setting, which his size should help him do, Golden State may be willing to work with him.
And Thompson wouldn’t be the only one happy if he gets drafted by the Warriors. He said his father, former NBA star Mychal Thompson, would be ecstatic, too.
“He’ll be very happy if I come here,” Thompson said of his father, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers when West was running the team. “He knows coach (Mark) Jackson will be demanding. He said he’ll be perfect for my game. “… I think my dad would be really pleased if I ended up here.”
