In their prime, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green set the precedent that teams had to go through them each year to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy. Although Curry was the main orchestrator of the team’s offense, when Thompson got hot, he was unstoppable. Has Paul George ever had a similar impact on the court? Perhaps.
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In fact, Pat Beverley thinks George would do better than Klay. Beverley’s recent comment that Curry would have had more rings with George by his side than Klay, indeed, requires scrutiny.
It’s a bizarre claim because the Warriors were successful due to the Splash Bros. Take one bro away, and you can’t fill that hole with another player, even if it’s with someone as great as George. That’s the point Robert Horry emphasized on his podcast Big Shot Bob.
Horry, who has won seven championships, insisted that George cannot replace the Warriors legend, and he explained why.
“I just think when it comes to a fit, his [George’s] game vs. Klay’s game. Klay’s game is run to that corner, run to that three-point line, get that sh** up. That’s not Paul George’s game,” Horry said.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star acknowledged George’s shooting skills. He’s handy from the perimeter, with a career percentage of 38% that has only dipped in the last couple of years.
But was George as efficient in the mid-2010s as Klay was? Could he shoot 44% from three over the course of a season? No. Plus, there’s another aspect of Klay’s game that overshadowed George’s.
“At their prime, if you had to grab one as a defender, Klay Thompson was a better defender than Paul George in his prime,” Horry added. “So, I’m looking at that, a lot of people don’t talk about that with Klay… Klay was an excellent defender before he had the injuries.”
Horry considers Thompson one of the best players in the game, both for how lethal he was on offense and how solid he was when tracking back to defend the Warriors’ basket. Yes, there could be an argument that George’s defense holds up next to Klay’s, and the Warriors would not have struggled too much with him. But what about chemistry?
Curry, Thompson, and Green were perfect for each other. And Horry is unsure if George would have gotten along with Green. “You need to have that locker room cohesiveness and that oneness on the court. Who knows if that fits?” He asked.
History is fine the way it turned out. The formidable Warriors trio gave the NBA community moments to cherish forever and rivals plenty of sleepless nights.
Contrary to what Beverley stated, if Klay hadn’t torn his ACL and Achilles and missed a year and a half, the Warriors’ dynasty might well have added another couple of championships to its tally.
