The long-awaited return of Klay Thompson could not have gone any better.
In four games, Thompson is averaging 13.8 points in 20.8 minutes per game. He's shooting 35.7 percent both from the field and from 3-point range.
In his first game back, the likely future Hall of Famer showed that not only was he healthy, but that he also had no fear, attacking the hoop multiple times and even throwing down an incredible and completely unexpected dunk.
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SIGN UP HERE His attempts in close proximity to the hoop are actually abnormally high for his standards. In his limited sample size of just under 21 minutes per game, Thompson is taking three shots within 10 feet of the hoop. In his last three full seasons of action, Thompson's season-high of attempts from that distance came in 2018-19, with 3.5 per game. That was in 34 minutes of action per contest.
Thompson, of course, is most known for his historically great 3-point shooting, and the early results thus far actually follow a career-trend of his (which I highlighted last week).
Dating back to the 2013-14 season, Klay has only once shot above 40 percent from deep in the month of October, when a normal NBA season would begin.
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The sample size is small in a normal NBA October, ranging anywhere from one to eigh games played, but Thompson would normally have preseason games leading up to his season opener, unlike his return this year. Through four games, Klay is shooting 35.7 percent from long range this season. In his October career, he has shot 35.5 percent.
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While his percentages might be low right now, he is scoring at a rate very similar to his career averages. Thompson is scoring 13.8 points per game in his 20.8 miutes per game, which equates to 23.9 points per 36 minutes. This rate is actually above his scoring average per 36 minutes from the past five seasons combined (23.2).
All told, the Warriors are elated with Klay Thompson's return thus far, and are surely excited for what is to come.