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OAKLAND – Klay Thompson failed to join one of the NBA's three teams on Thursday, and you've probably seen his reaction. He looked like he had been cheated out of a potential salary of $ 30 million and, moreover, from his legitimate place among his contemporaries.
Was Thompson stolen?
Well yes and no. Please, let me explain.
The guards of the first team are Stephen Curry, his teammate Thompson Warriors, and James Harden, Houston, unanimous choice. No beef there. Everyone is exactly where he belongs.
Guards for the second team are Damian Lillard of Portland and Kyrie Irving of Boston. Lillard is an easy call. Irving's choice, as incoherent as that of the Celtics, is debatable.
The guards for the third team are Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City and Kemba Walker of Charlotte. Both can be – and should be – debated. Westbrook is a monster of statistics, and it's worth something.
But the six guards share something that sets them apart from Klay. Each is the leader of his team and the first dictator of his fortune. Everyone is responsible for managing their team's offensive and the six teams tend to follow the path set by these six players.
Walker's Hornets is the only one of the six teams not to reach the playoffs. She was eliminated in the final days of the regular season. The general consensus, however, is that Charlotte has Kemba as her number 1 and that he was surrounded by a group of characters # 3, # 4, # 7 and # 8. Nobody, well-versed in the NBA, can not oppose the idea that Walker has had a fabulous season, but is still struggling with a mediocre secondary cast.
The Hornets finished 39-43. Without Walker, they will not win 30.
Thompson was spared from mediocrity for all, with the exception of his rookie season, 2011-12, the last one in which the Warriors missed the playoffs. He started part-time and has since become a crucial member of one of the best teams in NBA history.
Never, however, has there been a season or even a month during which Thompson was forced to serve as a leading scorer as well as as a lead facilitator. The burden of his leadership is not as heavy as that of the six players who voted in front of him.
As a result, Thompson does not belong to the All-NBA team. He was eighth in the vote among the guards. What is criminal is that he ended up behind Bradley Beal of Washington.
By any other measure, however, Thompson belongs. When you consider his reciprocal responsibilities, it is stupid to claim that he is one of the six best goalkeepers in the league.
"This guy is a machine," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. "It's amazing how he behaves offensively and then pursues his man defensively. He usually plays the ball defensively and makes a lot of changes, the guards post men after a change. The physical stamina that Klay displays is amazing. He leads us in minutes played.
"He's just … he's a machine there."
Thompson's ability as an elite defender and off-the-ball offensive threat allows Curry to play his best game. Both are a marvelous complement, as each has strengths that outweigh the imperfections of the other.
What could not be taken away from Thompson was his selection in the second defense team. He is at least two years late.
"He should have been first," said Draymond Green to Thompson's second team.
Thompson said that he was grateful for this recognition, describing it as a "huge honor" and a motivation for the future.
But he is clearly upset by the snobbish All-NBA. Thompson rightly thinks he is one of the league's six best guards.
"I respect these guys, but when you go five hours in a row [Finals]it takes more than just a few guys from the NBA, "Thompson said. "It's like a team all the time.
"But no matter, I'd rather win a championship than be a third-team NBA team, so that's good."
[[[[RELATED: How Klay helps the warriors]
Thompson, for my part, is the league's best guard in the league. But All-NBA honors are less focused on who's better than which player is more valuable to his team. Irving, Westbrook and Walker are even more crucial for their team than Thompson for his team.
This is the best way, perhaps only, to understand that Thompson does not rank among the top six.
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