Warriors' Klay Thompson Says He's 'Feeling Good' in Rehab from Achilles Injury
January 31, 2021
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson provided his astute and amusing insights during his team's 118-91 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Speaking with Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike (h/t Nick Friedell of ESPN), Thompson said he's "feeling good" in his rehab and that he's enjoying being around his teammates.
Thompson suffered a torn ACL during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals that forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 season. He then suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a Nov. 18 workout that has sidelined him for the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign.
He underwent surgery for the Achilles on Nov. 25. On Jan. 12, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided an update, relaying to reporters that Thompson told him the "worst" of the rehab was over with.
"He's going to be get into the pool next week and start running in the pool," Kerr said. "He's very upbeat about everything."
The five-time All-Star, three-time NBA champion and two-time All-NBA player has averaged 19.5 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting for his career. He's also knocked down 41.9 percent of his threes, making at least 40.0 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in each of his eight seasons.
The Warriors suffered numerous injuries in 2019-20 that dropped them to last in the NBA standings, but this year's team is getting by with an 11-9 mark through 20 games.
The team clearly misses Thompson's outside shooting, however, as the Warriors entered Saturday ranked 22nd in offensive rating, per Basketball Reference.
Ultimately, the potential the Warriors have shown this year foreshadows even more success in 2021-22 with the return of a healthy Thompson.