We have been waiting for the Klay Thompson return for what seems like forever. However, the wait is finally coming to an end, as Thompson is expected to see the floor for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers! Sunday will mark 941 days since he last played in an NBA game, which is wild to think about.
Klay Thompson Injury
With 941 games out of basketball, it’s obvious the Klay Thompson injury rehab has been intense.
Thompson tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Missing the entire next season, he brought his knee back to full strength. In November 2020, there was a pickup game that resulted in another Klay Thompson injury. This time, he tore his Achilles tendon, which caused him to miss yet another season of basketball.
Now, after another long rehab, Thompson appears ready to re-join the Warriors lineup. He has been practicing without restraints since mid-November, and he recently participated in a full-speed practice with his team. Clearly, they believe he looked and felt good enough because the Klay Thompson return is scheduled for tomorrow.
What to Expect From the Klay Thompson Return
Now, we shouldn’t expect Klay Thompson to return and immediately play 40 minutes. Rather, he is expected to play 15-20 minutes. Thompson will also sit one leg of back-to-backs for quite some time in order to not push his boundaries.
Still, Thompson should be in the starting lineup right away, moving Gary Payton II to the bench. He will bring his tough perimeter defense and strong three-point shooting to the lineup that has been missed since his initial injury.
The Golden State Warriors currently rank second in the Western Conference with a 29-9 record. Now, they return a five-time All-Star to their rotation. The Klay Thompson return is going to be electric.
