The Golden State Warriors drafted Klay Thompson as the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. One of the first ‘3 and D’ players, Thompson made a name for himself by pairing opposite Stephen Curry and earning the tag of the best shooting backcourt in the history of the league. Ten other franchises could have gained his services and one such franchise, who regret the decision is the Washington Wizards. And their franchise player in 2011 – John Wall, knew it.
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John Wall was the young upcoming star in the Wizards uniform after getting drafted by the franchise in 2010. He was present during the draft workout of Klay Thompson in 2011 and immediately identified his talents.
In ‘The OG’s‘ podcast with Udonis Haslem, Wall talked about wanting the Wizards to draft him,
“I think we should have for sure took Klay. I mean a sharpshooter, knowing he can shoot the ball… I knew Klay was special.”
The 5x All-star talked about Klay’s workout and him shooting lights-out while missing just 1-2 shots.
The Washington Wizards player further discussed how his team would have played with Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal on their roster.
“Klay was a great defender at that time too. He was a great defender so he probably would have played at 3 or 4. Brad at 2. Then you have me, Nene, and Gortat. We would have been great with the pick and roll.”
Wall went on to talk about the spacing his team would have had with him driving to the basket and throwing it out to shooters like Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal.
However, the Washington franchise drafted Jan Vesely as the No. 6 overall pick and it did not turn out as they would have anticipated. Recalling Vesely, Wall said, “They were calling him the ‘Baby Blake Griffin’ overseas. They was comparing him to like the Blake Griffin of overseas, like athletic and can run the floor.”
Though Wall tried to defend Washington’s pick by saying they had their reasons, Haslem was not so diplomatic with his words. He called out the franchise for missing on Klay Thomspon to draft an overseas player.
How did Jan Vesely fare as compared to Klay Thompson?
Jan Vesely, drafted as the sixth overall pick by the Washington Wizards, was a professional basketball player from the Czech Republic. He was known for his 6ft 10in athletic ability and was a highly touted prospect coming into the NBA. However, his career did not pan out as one would have hoped.
Vesely managed to play only three seasons with the Washington Wizards and was traded to the Denver Nuggets. His NBA career did not last very long as he moved back to Europe after just one season with the Nuggets. As per Basketball Reference, Vesely averaged 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in the NBA.
Klay Thomson, on the other hand, continues to have a decorated career with the Golden State Warriors. The player was a core piece in a dynasty that went to six NBA finals in eight years, winning four championships in the process. He made the All-Star team five times during the run and was named to the All-NBA team twice. The 5x All star is averaging 19.6 points per game for his career with a three-point shooting percentage 41.3. With Steph Curry, the ‘Splash Brothers’ are considered the most lethal shooters in the league.
