After more than 2 years out, Thompson’s return looming
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.
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.
How will Thompson’s return affect Jordan Poole’s most improved
player award chances?
Thompson’s lingering absence this season cleared the way for Poole to become a strong candidate for the league’s most improved player. In 30.1 minutes per game, he is averaging 18.1 points on 45.4 percent shooting (35.8 percent from 3-point range). Poole’s 88.7 percent clip from the foul line is tied for seventh in the NBA.
But when Thompson returns, Poole’s minutes figure to decline some. How much they’ll dip remains in question. Given how instrumental Poole has been to the Warriors’ Nba-best start, one would assume Kerr will still find him 20-plus minutes a night.
Even with Thompson yet to return, Las Vegas puts Poole’s chances at the award sixth behind Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and Lamelo Ball, Memphis’ Ja Morant, San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray and Cleveland’s Darius Garland.
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.
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.
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. 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 fans 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. Nearly 950 days removed from his last appearance, Thompson will be back where he belongs: the Warriors’ starting lineup.