Are the Golden State Warriors Better Without Klay Thompson?

A question I never thought I’d ask, “are the Golden State Warriors better without Klay Thompson?” Has an answer I thought was equally outlandish: “Yes.” Let’s not get it confused, peak Klay Thompson was a force of nature. But 34 year old Klay Thompson, struggling to reimagine himself after 2 devastating injuries, that’s not the same guy. Still a deadly 3 point shooter. Absolutely. And the Dallas Mavericks, specifically Luka Doncic, will reap the benefit of that now. But he’s not the same. And with Chris Paul, well, he’s 39. He might be the most impressive 39 year old not named LeBron James, but he’s clearly had a decline as well and is coming off of injury. He’ll elevate Victor Wembanyama to an immediate All Star in San Antonio, but again. Not the same. And what GSW has done on the margins to replace those guys has been surprising. They’ve gotten a solid 2-way guard in De’Anthony Melton, a really good playmaking defender in Kyle Anderson, and one of the best 3 pt shooters ever, not named Klay Thompson or Steph Curry, in Buddy Hield. So most of what you were getting from Klay and CP3 has been replicated, a significant upgrade on defense has been made, and the pieces could fit into the puzzle in a way that brings more schematic consistency throughout the course of the game. Are they contenders for the NBA Championship? No. But they do seem like they’re a better team on paper, which is not something you would have expected to say if you knew the Splash Brothers were history and Chris Paul was walking away for nothing.