Klay Thompson’s return is ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for Golden
State Warriors
Steve Kerr: '"I think Klay's imminent return is a huge factor for our team'
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 8: Golden State Warriors’ Klay
Thompson (11) celebrates a Warriors three-point shot against Los Angeles
Lakers in the fourth quarter of a NBA pre-season game at Chase Center in
San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. The Warriors beat the
Los Angeles Lakers 121-114. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 8: Golden State Warriors’ Klay
Thompson (11) celebrates a Warriors three-point shot against Los Angeles
Lakers in the fourth quarter of a NBA pre-season game at Chase Center in
San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. The Warriors beat the
Los Angeles Lakers 121-114. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
By EVAN WEBECK | ewebeck@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: November 2, 2021 at 2:21 p.m. | UPDATED: November 2, 2021 at
2:45 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/11/02/klay-thompsons-return-is-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-golden-state-warriors/

SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson is still a ways off from making his return
to the court for the Golden State Warriors, but they’re already getting
an emotional lift from the thought of adding their beloved shooting star
to the mix.

“I think Klay’s imminent return is a huge factor for our team. There’s a
sense of anticipation and energy that is directly linked to Klay’s
return,” coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday. “There’s just a very good sense
of who we are and what’s ahead, and I think everybody’s excited about it.”

The Warriors have won five of their first six games, despite two big
missing pieces that will fit into the puzzle as the season progresses.
Golden State got good news on James Wiseman to begin the week, when he
was cleared to resume all team activities at practice.

Thompson, who has missed back-to-back seasons with tears in his left ACL
then his right Achilles, continues to make “incremental” progress in his
recovery, Kerr said Tuesday. Further away than Wiseman, Thompson hasn’t
yet been cleared to rejoin team drills but has been showing off his
cutting, dribbling and dunking abilities, in addition to his signature
stroke, on his own hoop in practice.

“On the injury front, we’re seeing his progress is … more week to week
rather than day to day,” Kerr said. “But we can see him getting stronger
and getting more comfortable and getting quicker with his cutting and
his movement laterally. It’s all very exciting. We’re just thrilled to
at least finally have the light at the end of the tunnel.”

It has been nearly a year since Thompson underwent surgery on his right
Achilles, Nov. 25, 2020.

So far, so good, according to rookie Moses Moody, who is getting his
first look up close at one of the all-time great shooters. Moody, 19,
had only admired Thompson from afar before Golden State drafted him, but
he said “Klay looks like Klay.”

“He’s in the gym as much, if not more than, everybody else, doing what
he can on the court, doing what he can off the court in the weight room.
He still puts his uniform on and sits on the bench. All that stuff shows
he’s mentally there,” Moody said. “It’s gonna be scary when he gets to
unleash two years of frustration. I wouldn’t want to be on the other
side of that.”

>RELATED ARTICLES
Parole board recommends clemency for inmate championed by Steph Curry
Warriors’ James Wiseman cleared to practice — next stop: Santa Cruz?
Warriors 3 Things: An ‘organic’ Draymond Green sparks Warriors in
blowout win over OKC
Warriors rebound from first loss with big win over Oklahoma City
Warriors’ top draft picks Kuminga, Moody are available to face
Thunder — but probably not at the same time

Thompson, 31, is supposed to be cleared to return to full team practice
by mid-November, according to a report two weeks ago by NBA insider
Shams Charania. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported in August that the
Warriors were targeting a Christmas timeline for his return to the court.

NectarSleep
Back Pain Blues?
Would A New Nectar Mattress Help Reduce Overall Stiffness and Discomfort?
SPONSORED BY NECTARSLEEP
See more

Kerr has said Thompson’s first game back with the Warriors will come at
Chase Center, possibly at the behest of those above him. Owner Joe Lacob
daydreamed about the night on a recent NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast.

“Everyone loves Klay Thompson,” Lacob said. “I cannot wait until the day
he steps on this floor and plays again. It going to be one of the
all-time great days of Warriors basketball.”

--
Evan Webeck | Reporter
Evan Webeck covers high-school sports on the field and beyond — and a
little bit of everything else — for the Bay Area News Group. A Pacific
Northwest native and graduate of Arizona State, Evan has previously
worked for The Seattle Times, MLB.com and Sports Illustrated.