Kobe Bryant's stocks are on a free-fall, at least that's what some scouts say so. According to NBA agent Billy Duffy, Golden State Warriors sniper Klay Thompson has already overtaken the Black Mambas as the best two-way shooting guard in the league and here's why.
Thompson, who is reportedly asking the Warriors management for a max contract extension before the October 31 deadline, is coming off a career year where he averaged 18.4 points, 2.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
These statistical numbers are expected to rise up next year, but Duffy believed Thompson's value weighed even more on a defensive end the floor, where he established himself as an outstanding defensive stopper last season.
For Duffy, Thompson has done enough in his first three years in Golden State to warrant a max contract extension worth at least $15 million per year, and a title as the best two-way shooting guard in the NBA - better than Bryant!
"I don't want (Los Angeles Lakers star) Kobe Bryant to go crazy, but there's some uncertainty as to who he is right now (because of injuries that limited him to six games last season). But I think Klay Thompson right now is the top two-way, two-guard in basketball," Duffy told Sam Amick of Fox Sports.
"I think when you look at his body of work, when you look at what he accomplished guarding point guards on a regular basis (last season), I think it's pretty clear."
Is he really the best SG on the planet?
There's no denying that Thompson is a player on the rise, and his experience with gold medal-winning Team USA at FIBA World Cup would give him more momentum heading into the next season. On the other hand, the 36-year old Bryant is already entering the twilight years of his career, having missed a bulk of the past two seasons due to injuries.
For someone to rank Thompson over Bryant is just a bold feat to make. Duffy just did that, and Kobe will surely make him eat his words next season.
Again, Thompson is no scrub and he can perhaps become an All-Star this year if the Warriors continue their upward trend. However, Bryant will enter a new campaign with a chip on his shoulder. It's true that he has been not around for awhile now, but he's a different bread of animal. He belongs in a higher order of players who tend to get better as time passes by. We are talking about Michael Jordan and Karl Malone, who won MVPs in their late 30s. Bryant should not be an exception.
Maybe, Duffy is just doing his job as Thompson's agent, and there's no better way to create more hype for his client than comparing him against one of the finest players to ever play the game. But one thing Bryant's critics learned over the years - never bet against the Mamba because his payback strike will be deadly.
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