Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will likely make his 2021-22 season debut Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thompson has not suited up in a game since the 2019 NBA Finals. It will be more than 2.5 years between appearances for the three-time champion following ACL and Achilles injuries.
With Golden State boasting the best record in the NBA at 29-7, getting Thompson back in the mix could loom large down the stretch. Then again, there are some questions about whether the 31-year-old will be the same player he was pre-injury. Let’s look at how his return affects the Warriors and the NBA.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters Tuesday evening that the expectation is Thompson will play 15-20 minutes per game as he regains form. Initially, his overall impact on the Warriors isn’t going to be too great from a box-score standpoint.
In checking in on whether we’re going to see the same pre-injury iteration of Thompson, it’s rather tricky. In particular, the torn Achilles he suffered back in November of 2020 could be tricky. Remember, ACL injuries are no longer the career-enders they used to be. Instead, injuries to the Achilles can affect a player’s ability to return at full strength.
The late Kobe Bryant might be the best example of this. He suffered the same injury against Golden State at the end of the 2012-13 campaign — returning eight months later. Bryant would ultimately average 13.8 points on just 43% shooting in six games before suffering a fracture to his left knee. Bryant would be ruled out or the remainder of the 2013-14 season. An argument can be made that the all-time great never returned to pre-injury form despite playing at a high level ahead of his retirement in 2016.
- Klay Thompson stats (career): 19.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 46% shooting, 42% three-point, 16.4 PER
More recently, Kevin Durant has made a triumphant return from the Achilles injury he suffered when the current Brooklyn Nets star was Thompson’s teammate with the Warriors during the 2019 NBA Finals. It took Durant roughly 18 months to see the court again.
Thompson's return adds to Warriors’ rotation
If Thompson were able to return at even 80% of his pre-injury self, it would end up being a major boon for one of the deepest teams in the NBA. In particular, Jordan Poole being relegated to Sixth Man duties would help the Warriors’ second unit.
Likely in preparation for Thompson’s return, the third-year guard has come off the bench in the two games since he returned from a COVID-mandated absence. This came after Poole started the first 28 games of the season.
In wins over the Utah Jazz and Miami Heat, Poole averaged 21.0 points on 65% shooting, including a 55% mark from three-point range. Golden State was also plus-20 with Poole on the court in the two games.
Jordan Poole stats (2021-22): 18.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 45% shooting, 35% three-point, 15.3 PER
With Thompson returning to the starting lineup immediately, Golden State’s second unit gets a major boost. Poole will join Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II and Damion Lee as the first players off the bench. Those four are combining to average 29.0 PPG, 14.1 RPG and 7.3 APG. More scoring will help when Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins are resting.
NBA doesn’t necessarily need to prepare for Thompson’s return
That’s the reality of the situation here. Golden State was already an NBA title favorite before it became clear Thompson would return. It’s not dissimilar to Kyrie Irving’s imminent season debut with the Brooklyn Nets. That is to say, Brooklyn was a top dog back east without Irving in the mix.
More than anything, this will be a boon for the Warriors. Opposing teams won’t go out of their way to change their game plan against this squad.
Thompson is one of the best three-point shooters in history. You can’t leave him alone. But we’ve said the same thing about the Warriors’ supporting cast behind Curry this season. Wiggins (44%), Payton II (41%), Porter Jr. (40%) and Nemanja Bjelica (40%) have all excelled beyond the arc this season.
The biggest question will come playoff time. It’s a road other teams will have to cross when the NBA calendar hits the spring.
More must-reads: