All-NBA guards:
- First team: James Harden
- First team: Russell Westbrook
- Second team: Stephen Curry
- Second team: Isaiah Thomas
- Third team: John Wall
- Third team: DeMar DeRozan
Klay Thompson’s omission – despite three Warriors (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green) making All-NBA teams – sure seemed to bother Green.
Green, via Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area:“I think it’s bulls---,” he said. “When you look around teams . . . what did we win, 67 games or something like that? And we probably handed teams three or four. You’re talking a possible 70-win season. I think Klay is one of our top three guys, and to not be on an All-NBA team is pretty crazy.
“There are some guys on there, as scorers averaging 20 points and don’t have nearly the amount of wins we have. So how he could be left out, I don’t really understand it. And also the way Klay can defend, I don’t understand it.
“But I guess (voting media) have to find some way to punish us.”
What a victim complex.
Thompson deserved to make All-NBA ahead of DeRozan, but so did Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Mike Conley – and all three belong in line before Thompson. Kyle Lowry and Kyrie Irving are also in the mix of more deserving than DeRozan and Thompson.
Team wins can’t be the only measure for All-NBA, or Zaza Pachulia would make it. A player’s contributions to winning must be measured. Thompson is very good, but he’s Golden State’s fourth-best player. His was in the mix for All-NBA, but I wouldn’t have given him a spot. It’s certainly not a travesty that he didn’t make it.
But Green wanted to stick up for a teammate. I think that, as much as, maybe more than, merit influenced his comments.
