“The league’s gonna be in trouble when he’s back" - Andrew Wiggins believes that the Golden State Warriors will be a scary proposition once Klay Thompson returns
Golden State Warriors star forward Andrew Wiggins has sent a warning to the rest of the league for Klay Thompson’s return:
"The league's gonna be in trouble when he's back."
Andrew Wiggins on Klay Thompson:
“The league’s gonna be in trouble when he’s back.” 🗣
Klay Thompson's exciting return
Klay Thompson has been out for 13 months, rehabbing from an Achilles injury. He missed the entirety of the 2019-20 NBA season with a torn ACL in his left knee. After returning, Thompson injured his leg during an offseason workout in November of 2020. It was confirmed that Klay Thompson had torn his right Achilles and would have to undergo surgery.
The Golden State Warriors have of course missed their all-star Klay Thompson, but Steph Curry and teammates seem to have things under control regardless. Andrew Wiggins has stepped up immensely this season, proving to be a reliable sidekick for Curry in place of Klay’s absence. In the Warriors' last game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Andrew Wiggins showed up with 25 points in a 123-116 win for Golden State.
Thompson, on the other hand, went off during the pre-game warmups before the showdown against Utah. Klay hit 24 straight 3-pointers during drills before the game on Saturday.
Klay made 24 straight 3-pointers 👀 https://t.co/vNuptRHknR
Andrew Wiggins on Golden State
Andrew Wiggins has been averaging 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this 2021-22 NBA season. Even without Klay, do the Warriors look like an unstoppable force? They stand 1st in the Western Conference with 28 wins and 7 losses. The Phoenix Suns are behind them in second, with 27 wins and 8 losses.
Andrew Wiggins was traded to the Golden State Warriors in February of 2020, after spending his first five-and-a-half seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was picked No. 1 in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the second Canadian to be selected first.
With Klay being out for so long, there are worries about chemistry issues. Andrew Wiggins has proven to step up when he needs to for Steph Curry, but can the team gel into new roles smoothly when Klay joins?
After the Utah game, Andrew Wiggins told reporters:
"It's impressive man to see what he does, what he can do," Wiggins told reporters in Utah after the game. "The impact he has defensively, offensively, it's crazy. I'm excited to play with him, excited for him to get back. The league's going to be in trouble when he gets back."
The Golden State Warriors game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday was postponed due to a COVID outbreak amongst Denver players. Coach Steve Kerr took the opportunity to work on team chemistry and got Klay into a scrimmage with the stars on Golden State.
After the shoot-around, coach Steve Kerr told reporter Anthony Slater of The Atlantic:
"That's the first time Klay has scrimmaged with our first group. So that was really fun to watch, and helpful for Klay and our team. We got to work on some of our execution that we've been struggling with recently. So we turned it into a positive. It was a good practice.”
Klay Thompson was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by the Warriors with the 11th overall pick. Klay has spent his entire career with Golden State, winning the championship in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He has yet to share the floor with Andrew Wiggins.
In his 8 seasons playing, he has averaged:
- 19.5 points per game
- 3.5 rebounds per game
- 2.3 assists per game
- 0.5 blocks per game
- 0.9 steals per game
- 1.7 turnovers per game
- 33.1 minutes per game
- 45.9 percent shooting
- 41.9 percent 3-point shooting
- 84.8 percent free throw shooting
Coach Steve Kerr's comments
When asked about Klay’s journey back into the rotation, coach Steve Kerr explained:
"Klay (Thompson) will start when he comes back. I'm not gonna mess around, bring hin off the bench or any of that."
Steve Kerr: “Klay (Thompson) will start when he comes back. I’m not gonna mess around, bring him off the bench or any of that.” https://t.co/yHX1cYttcN
Andrew Wiggins’ comments on Klay’s return start to sound real accurate when we look at stats like these. With the Warriors already doing so well and having great team chemistry between their stars, Klay won’t have to do much besides get in his open shot positions. With the basketball IQ on Golden State already being so high having Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Andrew Wiggins, Klay is not going to have to overwork himself at all.
Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green are reliable space creators for both Steph and Klay Thompson, having been by their side for all three of their championships. Though the team has changed around their stars, it is safe to assume Klay is going to mesh back in very well.
With their current status atop the Western Conference, the Warriors are in a great position for a stable playoff run. Andrew Wiggins has proven to be a wonderful addition to Golden State and with Steve Kerr’s confirmation of how well their scrimmage went, the team should keep rolling even hotter with Klay.
Steph Curry on Klay Thompson returning
Andrew Wiggins is not the only teammate excited for Klay’s return. Fellow Splash Brother Steph Curry explained his excitement in an interview after Saturday’s Utah game:
"But with Klay especially, what he does best and what he provides in terms of spacing, shooting ability and defensively, all those things once he gets back to who he is, it's going to be fun."
Curry admitted the team was going to have to figure out rotation changes, but that he is not worried due to the capability of their squad.
“We have so many capable guys to fill out both units that we put out there. Different looks we can put together, and with Klay, with Wise, the young guys, a lot of options with what we can do.”
Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson have not played together despite Wiggins being on the team for 2 years. A notion like this brings up the question of team chemistry. But as Steph pointed out, they have "many capable guys." Andrew Wiggins is nothing short of excited to share the court with Klay, especially with how well the Canadian star has been playing alongside Curry.
The Warriors have yet to officially announce when Klay Thompson will return. But Klay himself has made a point of saying it is going to be a home game. Thompson explained that his Golden State fans have been long-awaiting his return, and are “deserving” of getting his return at home. It's a grand notion for fans who have been waiting to see Klay hit the floor since June 13, 2019.