Onus wrote:FNQ wrote:Hoopstar23 wrote:
I think your in for a rude awakening if you think hes still going to be quality defender
He’s cutting, running around screens, switching to get open (huge part of him being such a great shooter is that he’s one of the best in nba history at this)...all of which rely on speed and quickness that will be destroyed by an Achilles year and an acl tear
Technique > athleticism
Technique is why Klay was great. Now if you want him chasing down PGs still, that was likely going to stop being an option soon anyways. You dont have 30 year old shooters chasing down PGs and expect them to keep their legs. He wasnt winning on cuts and off-ball screens athletically.
Wes Matthews, someone who actually did rely on athleticism, was still a quality defender after his injury.
I'm happy that you're optimistic about Klay's recovery. It definitely makes me feel better
Well, at a physical level, yes I'm optimistic that it wont detract from Klay's game too much. I mean its never a *good* thing when you rupture an Achilles. But I've seen enough shooters with major leg injuries to know that unless they were actively creating their own shot, the result isn't nearly as bad as people tend to think.
Keep in mind too, just like with ACLs, or microfracture.. fans tend to have severely negative thoughts about it, when the recovery windows are getting smaller, the surgeries are becoming more precise, and the long-term damages are dwindling. Much like what I told Nets' fans re:KD - you're probably getting 90% KD, which is still way better most players in the league. Ditto with Klay - he may not ever be peak Klay again, but you'd still take him over most SGs, post-Achilles return.