Credit: Feb 15, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Beverley names the All-Star player that the Warriors would have won more titles with instead of Klay Thompson

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By James Shearman | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 10:42 AM ET

Everyone knows that Klay Thompson was an integral part of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty between 2015 and 2022.

Thompson was one half of the Splash Brothers alongside Stephen Curry, the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history.

Whatever happens with the Dallas Mavericks, he will be remembered as an all-time great and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame one day.

However, Patrick Beverley believes that the Warriors would have enjoyed even more success with another player instead of Thompson.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Patrick Beverley thinks the Warriors would have been better with Paul George

Beverley was asked whether he thinks Thompson was a better player than Paul George in the latest episode of his podcast.

He differentiated the two players by saying that the Warriors would have won more championships with George as the second or third option.

“If you put Paul George in the Klay Thompson role, playing with Steph, Draymond Green, [Andre] Iguodala, and (Kevin Durant)… We know Paul George was in the MVP race a couple of years ago,” Beverley said.

“If you substitute those two, I think Golden State probably wins more championships. They probably win more games.

“Some games that Steph missed with an ankle [injury] or some games that Draymond missed in the playoffs, like with the kick on LeBron, when they could have won that series and ended up losing.

“If that’s Paul George, I think he does more. In Golden State’s mind, I think there are a lot of championships where it’s like, ‘We won this many, but we should have six or seven.'”

Patrick Beverley defends Klay Thompson in ‘role player’ debate

Beverley then took exception to his co-host describing Thompson as a “role player” because he was much more than that.

He explained that role players cannot score 50 points in a game, which the ex-Warriors guard has four times in his career.

“I’ve never looked at Klay Thompson as a role player,” Beverley continued. “I think the confusion with role players and what people compare… role players are guys who don’t score a lot, who do the dirty work.

“I think Klay does the dirty work, and he guarded the second-best player, if it were a wing. Obviously, they’re going to put Draymond on the big.

“In my mind, he does the small things when it comes to defending, but scoring 50 and hitting 10 threes isn’t what role players do. Role players are supposed to come in and give you eight to 12 points, take charges, and be a lightning rod.

“Klay Thompson would light you up. I’ve never seen a prettier shot in my entire life. As a hooper, you look at Klay and it’s just so pretty. You can watch him shoot all day.”

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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