The Golden State Warriors lost Klay Thompson in the offseason in a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks but attempted to replace him in multiple ways. They added Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson. Hield and Melton, two above-average 3-point shooters, could potentially bring the same skillset as Thompson, even if it’s at a different level.
As for Anderson, he’s a point forward who can run an offensive unit. However, Kelly Iko of The Athletic is uncertain about the fit, naming him the “most likely player to fizzle or be unsuccessful.”
“I’m not entirely sure what Golden State’s direction is. I’m a fan of adding Buddy Hield (and a *healthy* De’Anthony Melton), but I don’t think Kyle Anderson is the type of player you bring in if you’re trying to extract the maximum from the latter stages of Stephen Curry’s career…
“But for a team that has relied on its spacing for years, Anderson historically isn’t a clean fit,” Iko wrote on August 1. “He’s also not a strong rebounder at his position, despite his 6-foot-9 frame. Maybe the Warriors are confident Anderson can return to being a league-average shooter, but I wouldn’t bank on it. Per PBPStats, Minnesota was a plus-8 with Anderson off the floor in the postseason and a minus-6 with him on, which is a telling sign of a player whose weaknesses seem to be magnified more than his strengths being accentuated. Not saying it can’t work, but it looks tricky.”
Anderson Has Had an Impressive Career
Entering his 11th year in the NBA after being drafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, Anderson has put together a great career for a role player.
In the 2023-24 season, he appeared in 79 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 6.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 22.6 minutes per game. His lack of a 3-point shot makes him an interesting fit if the Golden State Warriors plan to play him with Draymond Green, but that shouldn’t be their plan as they do much of the same things on the court.
Anderson, nicknamed “Slo-Mo” for a reason, has the ability to fill most offensive roles due to standing at 6-foot-9 and being able to initiate the offense.
Defensively, Anderson’s 7-foot-3 wingspan allows him to guard multiple positions.
Did the Warriors Do Enough to Replace Thompson?
Replacing an all-time Golden State Warriors legend is nearly impossible for multiple reasons. Outside of what Thompson has done as a shooter in his career for the Warriors, he’s a veteran who brings a different presence to the locker room. Not having him around will be different, but it’s part of the business.
With the players they’ve added, their fits might not be as clear as Thompson’s, but if Hield can shoot how he did from 3-point range in the 2022-23 season when he shot 42.5% from 3-point range on 8.5 attempts per game, there should be a similar feeling to having Thompson on the court.
Melton has dealt with injuries the past year and a half, but when he played 77 games in 2022-23, he shot 39.0% from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game.
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