Warriors' Steve Kerr Says It's 'A Matter of Weeks' Before Klay Thompson Returns
December 3, 2021
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is nearing his return.
Head coach Steve Kerr said on 95.7 The Game's Damon & Ratto Thursday that it's a "matter of weeks" before the five-time All-Star returns from a torn Achilles that cost him the entire 2020-21 season and the beginning of this year.
95.7 The Game @957thegame“Now it’s literally a matter of weeks… These last few weeks may be the hardest time of them all because he feels like he’s ready to play now.” <br><br>Steve Kerr on Klay Thompson 🙏<br><br> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonAndRatto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DamonAndRatto</a>)
Thompson suffered a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, which led to him missing the 2019-20 season. He then suffered the torn Achilles during a Nov. 18, 2020, preseason workout.
Thompson, who turns 32 in February, averaged 21.5 points on 46.7 percent shooting (40.2 percent from three-point range) during the 2018-19 season.
He helped the Warriors win their fifth straight Western Conference title, a period that included three NBA Finals titles.
Signs are all pointing to Thompson's return, with the Warriors announcing that the shooting guard had been assigned to the team's G League affiliate in Santa Cruz on Nov. 28.
One week prior to that announcement, Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Thompson was "trending toward a potential return the week before Christmas Day" after being cleared to be a "full-time participant in all future Warriors’ practices."
The Warriors have three games in the seven days prior to Christmas: a Dec. 18 road matchup with the Toronto Raptors, a Dec. 20 home game against the Sacramento Kings and another home matchup on Dec. 23 versus the Memphis Grizzlies. That stretch leads to a Christmas Day showdown at the Phoenix Suns.
Regardless of the exact date, Thompson is close to rejoining a Warriors team that is tied with the Suns atop the NBA standings with an 18-3 record.
Adding Thompson back in the mix, even if it's on a limited basis to start after he missed two years, only makes the Warriors more formidable as they search for their fourth NBA championship since 2015.