New Klay Thompson injury update is a mixed bag for the Warriors

After injuries held him out in back-to-back seasons, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors is on track to make a return to the court this coming season. 

It has been roughly 830 days since Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson played in an NBA game. The last time he saw the heat of battle was in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals when he went down with a torn ACL in his left leg. Amidst his rehabilitation from that injury, he sustained a right Achilles tear, together those injuries held him out for two full seasons.

A medical update on Sep. 20 from the Warriors stated that the five-time All-Star “has made good progress during his rehabilitation this summer” and is on track to make a return to the court at some point this season. When? The statement doesn’t specify when Thompson will get back on to the court, just that he will partake in various drills during training camp.

The Warriors need Klay Thompson healthy if they’re going to compete for a title

Thompson, since he entered the league in 2011, has been a household name as one-half of the shooting duo known as the Splash Bros. He’s reached Human Torch levels of heat on the court with his nimble movements and quick and explosive shooting.

Over the course of his career, he’s been a 42 percent 3-point shooter on seven attempts a game. He’s also a stout perimeter defender, having been named to the All-Defense second team in 2019.

The Warriors have surely missed Thompson’s game-breaking shooting to pair alongside superstar Steph Curry. The lack of Thompson’s presence on the court had a great impact on how teams defended Curry last season, who despite seeing a plethora of different defensive coverage last year, still led the league in scoring.

With both members of the Splash Bros in the backcourt, whenever it happens again, is a sight to see both as a fan and as an opponent.

The report also shared similar ambiguous details about Warriors’ second-year center James Wiseman, who went down in April with a right meniscus tear. Wiseman, like Thompson, has had a successful recovery journey and should make a return to the court at some point this season.

There is a six-month timetable from the time of surgery for when the former No. 2 overall pick is to begin jumping: Oct. 15, 2021. But his return to full practices and to the court is to be determined. Wiseman averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 39 games during his rookie season.