NBA Rumors: When Is Klay Thompson Coming Back From Injury?

The Golden State Warriors have not been the same since Klay Thompson went down with an injury two years ago.

Thompson, a three-time NBA Champion, five-time NBA All-Star, and the other half of the Warriors’ "Splash Brothers" alongside Steph Curry, tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. He then went on to miss the entirety of the 2019-2020 NBA season.

In November 2020, Thompson’s return to action would once again be pushed back after suffering an Achilles tendon injury that he sustained during a pickup game in Los Angeles.

Because of this, Thompson is expected to miss the entire 2020-2021 season.

With Thompson being out of action, the Warriors have floundered, and understandably so, since they’re missing around 20 points per game and one of their main defensive weapons.

In the 2019-2020 season, the Warriors finished with a 15-50 record, good for last place in the Western Conference.

This season, Curry has helped the Warriors to a 20-19 record, good for ninth in the West and in the running for the post-season play-in tournament.

While they’ve already eclipsed their win total from last season and are very much in the chase for a playoff berth, it’s a far, far cry from the dynastic Warriors teams of the past few years.

While this season will continue to be a struggle for Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of Dub Nation, they have something to look forward to for next season.

Apart from the continuous development of rookie James Wiseman, the Warriors could also have their sweet-shooting star two-guard back by as early as next season’s opening day.

Prior to the Warriors’ 131-119 win over the league-leading Utah Jazz on Sunday, Thompson joined team shootaround and was putting up shots.

He also spoke to the media and touched on a number of topics, including when he expects to be back for the former perennial title contenders.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Thompson responded when asked if his target date was indeed next season’s opening night. “Could be a few weeks after, maybe a month after, but it’s definitely going to be geared towards the beginning of the season.”

After essentially being shelved for the last two seasons, the obvious concerns are regarding the level that Thompson will be at, especially with the time off.

The two-time All-NBA Third Team selection, however, admitted that he won’t be the player he used to be when he comes back, but he plans on working towards that level.

“I’ll be honest with you guys, I don’t expect to come back and just, balls to the wall, 38 minutes a night, guarding the best player, running around a hundred screens. I’m going to get to that point, I guarantee that,” Thompson said candidly.

Obviously, it won’t be an easy process, but Thompson’s return is something that Warriors fans and NBA fans in general should be looking forward to.