Major Update on Klay Thompson’s Injury and NBA Return

Published 07/25/2021, 1:01 PM EDT

The Golden State Warriors’ NBA championship run seems to be in the past as of right now. Loss of key players and injuries have dampened their hopes of being an unstoppable team. For instance, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in tournament ended their hopes of making the playoffs. Most of these factors are because of Klay Thompson and his injury woes for the Warriors.

Despite having the best shooter ever, Thompson’s experience and skill set are invaluable for the Warriors. As he is out with different injuries since 2019, he is edging back to full fitness come next season.

Thompson’s doctor gave a recent update on his injury troubles which kept him out of the roster for two years.

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Klay Thompson is coming back

The return of Thompson provides a monumental boost for the Warriors because of his importance to the team. Klay’s doctor Nirav Pandya issued a statement regarding his injury troubles and provided information on his fitness levels.

Klay is now 8 months after his Achilles repair. One component of clearance to full activity is symmetry between the 2 legs in terms of flexibility, strength, balance, neuromuscular control, & hop testing. Running/jumping mechanics have to be normalized as well. #DubNation #Klay
— Dr. Nirav Pandya, MD (@DrNiravPandya) July 24, 2021

Steve Kerr mentioned his return to fitness and how he is responding in training.

“When Klay started running about three weeks ago, it was like the light was suddenly at the end of the tunnel. I could just tell a big change in his optimism and in his feeling of being part of the group–preparing for next season. These last few weeks have been great, he’s putting in so much work,” said Kerr.

The guard has been out since the 2019 playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. After rupturing his ACL, he was scheduled to return in the 2020-21 season. However, an offseason Achilles injury derailed his hopes of coming back to play for the Warriors. Since then, the Warriors have had a blip in form and look to be far beyond their best. But the return of the shooting guard would boost the team to gain 4 or 5 places in the next NBA season.

Despite that, the major takeaway would be on his ability. Can he produce legendary performances again?

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Does Thompson comeback be a bane or a boon?

The Achilles injury is one of the most terrifying injuries for an athlete. It plays its cards on both the physical and mental sides of a player. The perfect silver lining for him will however be KD’s return to the NBA. His performance after his serious injury is an example for generations to come. Despite that, missing two years in your career would have repercussions on the mental side of a player.

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Klay must hope to get back to his best as soon as possible.

In terms of shooting, no player is as good as him to catch and shoot the ball. He can literally knock down shots at ease with his beautiful poetry in motion. Despite this, the concern could come on his defensive side of the game. Known to be an excellent perimeter defender, Klay uses his lateral quickness and hardball defensive approach to hustle his opponents. The injury may be a cause of concern regarding his defensive side. But having a basketball IQ is more than enough to compensate for the loss and he has that in abundance.

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Recovering from a major injury also leads to questioning your mental fortitude. It is difficult for a player to be out of the game for so long when he was at his peak. The much-awaited return of Klay Thompson would provide the spark needed for the Warriors to challenge in the NBA, yet again.

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Written by:

Jacob Gijy is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Gijy finished his Masters in Counselling Psychology and worked in a hospital for 2 years before his passion for sports compelled him to find his way to sports journalism. A fan of the great Tim Duncan, he is always ready to pick up a debate with anyone who does not offer the centre the respect he deserves.

Major Update on Klay Thompson’s Injury and NBA Return

Klay Thompson is coming back

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Does Thompson comeback be a bane or a boon?