Well folks, we finally can put to rest the caveats of "when Klay returns" and "assuming Klay looks like himself" and so on. Klay Thompson is back, and the whole NBA rejoiced.
He looked spry, healthy, athletic and happy, which should terrify the rest of the league.
Here are some notes and observations about Klay's return game.
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SIGN UP HERE 1) Klay definitely was not shy to shoot
It is incredibly entertaining when Thompson decides he is going to launch from everywhere, and in his first game, he did not disappoint. In fact, he shot the ball at an almost comically high rate. Let's put it into context:
In his career, Klay averages about 17 shot attempts per 36 minutes of action. His career-high season average per 36 minutes for field goal attempts was 19, which he set in the 2014-15 and 2018-2019 seasons.
Against the Cleveland Cavaliers in his first game back, Klay attempted 18 shots in just under 20 minutes, which equates to an absurd 32 shots per 36 minutes.
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Surely Dub Nation was thankful to watch every single shot, and probably wished he shot even more.
2) Klay is not a stranger to slow starts
Not playing basketball for 941 days while working back from two major surgeries will probably make any player just a bit rusty when they get back. For Thompson, it is not unexpected for him to start the season slow from 3-point range even without the injuries.
In his career, Klay averages monthly lows in 3-point shooting in October, when a normal NBA season would start. Klay shoots 35.5 percent from deep in October, which is a far cry from his next "worst" month, November, when he historically shoots 40.9 percent. His 3-point percentage slowly creeps up to 41.1 percent in December, before exploding in January to a tune of 44 percent from deep.
RELATED: Steph reveals one moment from Klay's return that stood out
If Klay were to follow his normal timeline to start a season, that would mean his 3-point explosion this season would just so happen to line up perfectly with the start of the playoffs.
3) The Warriors are 30-9 and Klay Thompson just returned
That is the stat. And now the season really begins.