Klay Thompson's tentative return date revealed by Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers on media day
It didn't take long during Golden State Warriors' media day for the question on everyone's mind to get addressed. With the health of Klay Thompson being a storyline that could swing the entire momentum of the Warriors 2021-22 season, GM Bob Myers quickly gave all of us an update on the situation.
Bob Myers said Klay Thompson can do a lot in camp, "just not contact, no 5-on-5." Said there will be a point -- "maybe January" -- where Klay will know he's ready. But it'll be a patient ramp up and a whole lot of scrimmaging, even high-intensity G-League practices before.
While it shouldn't be much of a surprise to basketball fans, it at least gives us a realistic expectation of when we should potentially see Klay Thompson returning to NBA action.
The most important thing to realize with this situation is patience. The Warriors know that Klay can't afford to suffer another setback. After suffering an ACL tear during the NBA Finals in 2019, Thompson would eventually suffer another Achilles injury right before the beginning of last year's season.
Thompson recently just turned 31 and hasn't played in an NBA game since the Warriors' finals appearance against the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
With a Warriors roster that surprised many last year with their competitiveness, the Golden State front office did a great job this offseason of adding some strategic pieces to improve the teams depth. The key to the puzzle is the healthy return of Thompson, who will insert a massive jolt of energy with this team moving forward. Even if Thompson is thriving with his rehab, it's wise of the Warriors to stress caution.
This is a situation in which it might be intelligent to be "overprotective" when it comes to getting the five-time All-Star back. In another interesting development, head coach Steve Kerr announced that Thompson's first game back will be in front of hometown fans in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Klay Thompson's first game back will be at home. Steve Kerr: "Bob's already told me it's got to be a home game. Klay will not be (returning) on the road."
After Klay Thompson has spent the majority of the last two years rehabbing and trying to get back on the NBA court, it's a great gesture for Klay and the Warriors fanbase. If you thought an NBA arena was loud before, just wait until the potential game in which Klay runs back on the Warriors home floor for the first time.
You could make the argument that no player in the entire NBA is as universally loved as Klay Thompson. He's been a joy to watch on and off the court. Thompson will go down as one of the most lethal outside shooters in NBA history, and the hope is that his recent injury bug is something that can be put in the rearview window for the foreseeable future.
GAME. 6. KLAY.
🔥 41 points (19 in 4th Q)
💦 11 3PM (playoff record)
😱 Go-ahead 👌 to force Game 7
@KlayThompson x #NBATogetherLive https://t.co/kC96Ldq7Pd
If Thompson can return even at 70% early on, he's still going to give the Golden State Warriors a dangerous weapon alongside fellow splash brother Steph Curry. Once Klay gets the chance to shake off the rust and get back into full swing of things, the Warriors know they will be one of the most dangerous teams to deal with on a nightly basis.
For basketball fans all across the world, we wait patiently and hope that Klay comes back to being the player we all loved so much. For the Warriors and Thompson, there's no need to rush this situation. Simply put, extra time might be a smart thing.