Orthopedic specialist analyzes Klay Thompson's recent shootout video to determine his recovery
Klay Thompson uploaded a video of himself shooting threes on Instagram, which has brought a smile on the faces of NBA fans. An eminent orthopedic specialist, Dr. Nirav Pandya, has analyzed the same to ascertain Thompson's recovery.
Even if one isn't a Golden State Warriors fan, Thompson has always been one of the most beloved athletes in the league. Who doesn't love watching him drop 40 and 50 points with ease without even dribbling the ball? Klay Thompson's return is a win for basketball and not just the Warriors.
In the viral video, he was shooting a corner three with a bounce in his step, which got fans particularly excited. He was shooting non-jumping threes months ago, but the sight of him jumping and using those legs was one for sore eyes.
Dr. Nirav Pandya gives his opinion on Klay Thompson's Achilles recovery
Dr. Nirav Pandya is an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF (University of California San Francisco) and the Director of Sports Medicine at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
He has appeared on several sports shows talking about NBA and NFL players' health and their injuries. After the Klay Thompson's Instagram story went viral, Dr. Pandya weighed in on the player's possible recovery status.
Klay Thompson landed on his left leg, which suggests his earlier ACL injury from the 2019 NBA Finals is practically healed, or he is making great progress on the same. Moreover, the fact that he wasn't landing on his right leg (the Achilles one), is what got fans slightly concerned.
However, Dr. Pandya clarified that lifting off for a shot causes more stress to the Achilles than landing. Klay Thompson landing on his left was more to do with the type of shot he attempted, so there was and nothing to be concerned about.
D.r Pandya engaged in a conversation with a concerned fan on Twitter. When asked about Thompson's probable return timeline, Dr. Pandya said:
"For most pro athletes, it's 9-12 months (for Achilles post-operation) since the stress on the repair is more. NBA players average about 10.5 months, NFL players around 12 months...I think anytime around 12 months out would be good. KD was around 18 months, but then that would be put Klay at almost 3 years away from live action...that's a long time...His surgery was November 25th; so late Nov/early Dec is a year."
He added that the most realistic return timeline for Klay Thompson should probably be around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Although Dr Nirav Pandya is one of the most recognised doctors in the field of Sports Medicine, he clarified that his tweets are his own opinions and not professional medical advice. However, for fans, just a few words of reassurance is enough to get them excited for next season.
The Golden State Warriors take on the LA Lakers on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season. Thompson will certainly not be there for the marquee match-up, but we can expect him to lace up in a few months.
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