Klay Thompson is itching to get back on an NBA court after missing the last two seasons with major leg injuries, and on Monday, the Warriors released the latest update on the rehabbing shooting guard.
Thompson is making "good progress," the Warriors said, and is on track to return at some point during the upcoming season.
Earlier this year, Warriors president Bob Myers first mentioned sometime in December as a possible return for Thompson, and ESPN's Ramona Shelburne recently reported that the team is targeting its Christmas day showdown against the Phoenix Suns for the five-time All-Star's long-awaited first game back.
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When the Warriors open training camp next week, Thompson won't be a full participant in practices just yet, but he will take part in "various controlled drills" until he is ready to take the next step.
"Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who has missed the last two seasons due to a torn left ACL and a torn right Achilles, has made good progress during his rehabilitation over the course of the summer and is on pace to return for the 2021-22 season," the Warriors wrote in a statement Monday. "The exact time for his return this season will be based on his continued progress. Thompson, who underwent surgery on his right Achilles on November 25, 2020, is expected to participate in various controlled drills during training camp. His return to full practices will be determined at a later date."
Thompson last played in a game during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals when he tore his left ACL against the Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena.
Just as he was nearing a return for the delayed start of the 2020-21 NBA season, Thompson tore his right Achilles during a pick-up basketball game on Nov. 18, just hours before the Warriors selected center James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
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Thompson has been providing sporadic updates on his progress on social media over the last few months, and he recently posted video of himself making 10 straight corner 3-pointers. A month ago, he posted a video showing him hitting a corner 3-pointer and sprinting back down the court, looking like his old self.
Former Warriors teammate JaVale McGee believes the Warriors will get the "old" Klay back when he returns, and Golden State is going to need that version of Thompson if it hopes to return to contender status in a loaded Western Conference this season.