Thompson’s return looms
SAN FRANCISCO — Over the past two and a half years, as the Warriors slogged through back-toback lottery seasons and put together a title contender, many have wondered: What will Golden State look like with a healthy Klay Thompson?
The answer could come as soon as Sunday night at Chase Center. Though no official word will arrive until Friday or Saturday, the Warriors hope to have Thompson back against Cleveland.
Ahead of Thompson donning No. 11 in an NBA game for the first time since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, here are the 11 biggest questions surrounding Thompson’s return:
What are the odds of Thompson returning Sunday against the Cavaliers?
High. The Warriors are expected to make a final decision Friday after they return from their DallasNew Orleans trip, but all signs point to Thompson coming back Sunday against Cleveland at Chase Center.
Thompson has competed in multiple five-on-five scrimmages with Golden State’s starters, long considered the final step in his rehab from a torn left Achilles tendon. A league source told Hearst Newspapers on Wednesday, “Everyone’s preparing as if Klay will come back Sunday. Is it set in stone? No, but everyone’s looking to that Cleveland game as the day.”
How long will Thompson need to get back toward his usual workload?
It could be a while. Coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday that Thompson will start his first game back and play 15-20 minutes before steadily ramping up his playing time.
The Warriors will be in no rush, given that their goal is to have him in the 30-to-35-minute range by late March. That would ensure him some higherusage games before the playoffs start in mid-April.
Can Andrew Wiggins be even more efficient alongside Thompson?
Wiggins’ emergence as a reliable two-way player is one of the biggest reasons the Warriors have vaulted back into title contention. In addition to taking over Thompson’s responsibility of defending opponents’ top-scoring wings, Wiggins has been quite consistent offensively.
His shooting percentages from the field (49 percent) and 3-point range (43.5 percent) are careerhighs. Logic suggests that once Thompson returns, Wiggins only will have more open shots. Thompson perhaps is the greatest floor-spacer in NBA history not named Stephen Curry. Given that opposing defenses will need to worry about Curry, Thompson and even Jordan Poole, they probably can’t make Wiggins much of a focus.
Did the long layoff hurt Thompson’s shooting?
It’s fair to wonder whether more than two and a half years away from NBA games has affected Thompson’s near-flawless shooting form. But according to those who’ve seen him in recent scrimmages, Thompson’s jumper looks as good as ever.
The bigger question is how long he’ll need to get his rhythm and timing down. Shooting is about more than catching and releasing — to get off a clean shot, one must find the right spots and move off the ball. Thompson conceded last week that he is still relearning some of those nuances.
Will Thompson ever be an All-Defensive Team-caliber stopper again?
Thompson’s biggest adjustment will come on the defensive end. Achilles injuries tend to hurt players’ explosiveness, but Thompson’s offense doesn’t rely on athleticism. This is someone who has broken records with a simple, almost monotonous motion: plant, catch, release.
But on defense, Thompson depends on agility and quickness to stay in front of the league’s best scorers. This might be more difficult with a surgically repaired Achilles tendon. Though the tendon is fully healed, players who undergo such procedures often struggle get all the strength back in their calf muscles.
It should help that Thompson will have less defensive responsibility than he did pre-injuries. Wiggins and Gary Payton II are dependable perimeter defenders, and even Curry has gotten considerably better on that end.
Does Thompson’s return cement the Warriors as title favorites?
According to Las Vegas’ odds, Golden State is the second-most likely team to win the 2021-22 NBA championship. The Nets, who are welcoming back Kyrie Irving for road games, are ahead of the Warriors.
But one could quibble with Las Vegas’ rankings, given that Golden State has five fewer losses than Brooklyn and slots in above the Nets in almost every major statistical category. Thompson’s return might be enough to rid any doubt over whether the Warriors are title favorites.
With Thompson yet to play a game, Golden State already boasts the deepest rotation in the league. His addition, along with the looming return of James Wiseman, will give Kerr a bevy of lineup options. How is an opposing coach supposed to game plan for a team with Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Poole, Draymond Green and a slew of valuable role players?
Will there be much of an adjustment period for the Warriors’ newcomers?
Of the 17 players on Golden State’s roster (including two-way-contract players), 12 have never played a game with Thompson. The good news for the Warriors, though, is that Thompson might be the easiest superstar in the NBA to play alongside.
Given that he barely dribbles or even touches the ball, he can make a difference without forcing others to change what they do. Perhaps the biggest adjustment will be the added spacing Thompson provides. This is a good issue to have, one that shouldn’t set the Warriors back in any real way.
Though players will have to deal with evolving roles as Thompson ramps up to his usual workload, the positives he brings should far overshadow any learning curve teammates might need to navigate. Odds are that the Warriors will be an even more difficult team to stop from the moment Thompson first steps back on the court.
What are Thompson’s chances of reaggravating his injuries?
What made Thompson’s ACL and Achilles injuries so surprising was that they were freak accidents. Thompson had taken plenty of time to recover from the torn ACL before he started scrimmaging again, which is why doctors don’t believe the Achilles injury had anything to do with the ACL injury.
Now, 13 months after Thompson tore that Achilles tendon during a workout in Los Angeles, he is on the verge of returning. This is on the long end for such rehabs. Odds are that, if Thompson tears his ACL or Achilles again, it’ll be another freak accident — not a sign that the Warriors mishandled his recovery.
What will that moment be like when Thompson steps back on an NBA floor for the first time in 31 months?
There is a reason why the Warriors made it clear months ago that Thompson would return during a home game. Outside of perhaps Curry, no player has endeared himself to the fan base more than Thompson. His humility, diligence and quirkiness make him one of the league’s most relatable All-Stars.
That’s why, when news broke that Thompson had torn his Achilles and stared down yet another lengthy rehab, people who’ve never even met him were crestfallen. There will be a lot of tears shed when Thompson’s name blares across the PA system at Chase Center. Nearly 950 days removed from his last appearance, Thompson will be back where he belongs: the Warriors’ starting lineup.