Steve Kerr: 'My Guess' Is Klay Thompson Will Be Ready for Warriors' Season Opener

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr remains optimistic about Klay Thompson's status for opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season.

"We're 13 days away. My guess is he will be ready," Kerr told reporters Wednesday. "But it's not something we can say yes or no on."

On Saturday, Thompson said he felt fine physically but had taken a step back from basketball this summer to mentally reset. As a result, his preparations ahead of the upcoming season were disrupted.

Thompson lost two full years of his career, the first to a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and the second to a torn Achilles as he prepared for his return.

The five-time All-Star made his long-awaited 2021-22 debut in January. Over 32 games, he averaged 20.4 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The mental toll on Thompson had to be enormous. First, he had to anxiously wait until he got the green light to play again. Then came the emotional release of suiting up and stepping onto the court. And he only had a few months to get reacclimated before the Warriors were starting the postseason and en route to winning their fourth title in eight years.

Nobody can blame the 32-year-old for taking a step back to focus on himself, even if it set him back in terms of his readiness for the season ahead.

Thompson didn't play in either of Golden State's two preseason games in Japan. He did team up with Stephen Curry to beat teammates Moses Moody and Jordan Poole in a three-point contest.

The Warriors have three more preseason games before the defending champions host the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 18. There will be more opportunities for Kerr to get Thompson on the floor and back into game shape.