If It’s One or the Other, Golden State Warriors Need Klay Thompson Not Kevin Love

The Minnesota Timberwolves want Klay Thompson and they want him bad. Offers from every sector of the NBA are popping up and good ones too. But the Wolves remain steadfast in their approach to acquire Klay from Golden State, somehow, some way.

Head coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are doing the right thing as far as I’m concerned. Why would you give up the best back-court in the NBA, the same back-court that is the reason your team contends as a Playoff team as it is? And for those chubs that keep saying “Kevin Love is THAT much of an upgrade over David Lee that it’s worth giving up Thompson”, remember that whoever comes in at the shooting guard position will also be THAT much of a downgrade from Thompson.

Now, if the Warriors could somehow pry Love away and keep Thompson and Curry in tact, they can contend in the West. To trade one star player for another (and yes Thompson is a star) doesn’t make the team any better, it just changes the weakness to shooting guard.

Thompson’s is known for his prime ability to guard the 1, 2 and 3 and that is something that Love cannot give you. In the Western Conference superstars are stacked at those guard and small forward positions, so if you’re going to win you need elite defenders up top. Love doesn’t even address the defensive need at the 4 position, which is a major problem.

You’re also not going to receive the 8 point difference from Love to Thompson from any other 2-guard on the current roster, so basically you lose one of the best defenders in the conference and lose the difference offensively as well.

Kerr is playing this well and understands that even if what the Warriors would gain is slightly more than they lose with Klay, it wouldn’t be enough of a difference to address whatever perceived issues GS has. It could be argued if they could just keep Andrew Bogut healthy that this team could contend for the Western Conference Finals.

For now the trade talks between Golden State and Minnesota aren’t going anywhere, through all the smoke and fire of the media. The Warriors would do well to buy themselves and decent stretch-4 to split time with Lee and hold their position. They are one or two players away from being favorites, but only if they keep the core of Curry and Thompson together.