Windhorst: Klay Thompson's Return to Form from Achilles Injury Drawing Rave Reviews

The Golden State Warriors are off to a red-hot 9-1 start to the 2021-22 season, and they're not far off from getting All-Star reinforcement.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst discussed Thompson's recovery Tuesday on NBA Today, saying there's confidence in the organization that Thompson will return to form upon his return. 

"The whispers going around the league right now about Klay Thompson—people are watching him. People are talking to people in the Warriors organization, and they say he looks good," Windhorst said. "I'm not saying he's coming back and he's gonna be shooting 40 points in his first quarter. But he looks good working out, and there is a real confidence in there that—especially by the end of the season—Klay is going to be back back."   

No timetable has been given for Thompson's return. He has been playing 3-on-3 as he ramps up his activity level, but there has been no word on when he'll start playing 5-on-5 again.

"I'm feeling great," Thompson said last week on ESPN. "Just working every day like I have been the last two years and I'm playing 3-on-3 and just getting back into the tip-top game shape."

Thompson has missed the last two seasons with leg injuries, tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals before suffering a ruptured Achilles while working out ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. There's no telling what type of player Thompson will be upon his return. The injuries he suffered are career-altering on their own, let alone one on top of another. It's hard to fathom a scenario where he returns immediately to All-Star form or even plays in any back-to-backs this season.

The Warriors are planning a careful approach to his recovery, but any lift he brings to the floor will be a boost for a team that's already exceeding expectations.