JaVale McGee was alongside Klay Thompson for several remarkable seasons with the Warriors, including helping bring two championships to the Bay Area. Thompson has missed the past two NBA seasons as he battles back from multiple lower-body injuries, but his former teammate believes the sharpshooter will be the same old star when he gets back on the court.
“I expect the old Klay [Thompson] to tell the truth,” McGee told Shannon Sharpe on the "Club Shay Shay" show (h/t Essentially Sports). “The only thing I see will maybe be slacking in that first month of the season is defense, just because you know how aggressive Klay is and how good he is on defense. I don’t think you’re gonna get those reps in the offseason or practice on the defensive end. So I think that first month he’s gonna struggle a little bit on defense, but offensively he didn’t hurt his arm.
"Ain’t nothing wrong with his arm, so that boy’s gonna shoot.”
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Thompson hasn't seen the floor for an NBA game since June 13, 2019, when he tore his ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Just over a month before the 2020-21 NBA season was set to get underway, Thompson tore his Achilles, further pushing back his return.
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The five-time NBA All-Star has been itching to get back on the court, and the Warriors know that his presence means a lot for their championship aspirations after back-to-back years without a playoff appearance.
Dub Nation will be thrilled to see Thompson get back on the court regardless of his production, but seeing something close to the "old" Klay would bode well for the organization's chances in the loaded Western Conference.
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