Golden State Warriors star guard Klay Thompson has not suited up in an NBA game since June of 2019 when his team lost to the Toronto Raptors in the Finals.
It’s been a long road back for the three-time NBA champion after he suffered both a torn ACL and torn Achilles since last suiting up.
But we’re now nearing the end of his absence.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there’s confidence that Thompson will return for the Warriors this coming Sunday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Thompson, 31, had been ramping up activities in preparation for returning to the court. That has included taking part in five-on-five practices over the past several weeks.
Impact of Thompson returning to the Warriors
Even without Thompson in the mix, Golden State boasts the best record in the NBA at 28-7. Splash Brother Stephen Curry is a legit MVP candidate. Andrew Wiggins has taken his game to a whole new level. Draymond Green is the likely NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Jordan Poole is having his own coming-out party.
Initially, Thompson will likely see about 20 minutes per game. After all, it will have been more than 2.5 years since he last played once the star guard takes to the court. Head coach Steve Kerr did indicate that Thompson will start out of the gate. That likely pushes Poole into a Sixth Man role.
- Klay Thompson stats (2018-19): 21.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47% shooting, 40% three-point
Getting Thompson back in the mix makes Golden State the favorite in the West. Of course, that’s dependent on him being anywhere near the player he was pre-injury. For what it’s worth, Thompson has looked 100% in practice.
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