Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors hasn’t played a game of basketball in 924 days when he tore his Achilles tendon in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
But his time away from the court is coming to an end.
See you soon, @KlayThompson 👏
(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/JZDJU8TIfj
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 4, 2021
After years of rehab, Thompson is getting very close to returning to the team and rumor has it that he will begin playing again at the beginning of 2022.
The Warriors, already Finals contenders, are about to get a lot better.
What Thompson Brings
Before he left the league, Thompson was a unit.
He was creating 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists a game, all career-highs.
Thompson was also shooting an impressive 40.2 percent from the three-point line which was, surprisingly, not a career-high.
Thompson could lead a team on his own but he is best known as one half of the Splash Brothers along with Stephen Curry.
Indeed, the combination of Curry and Thompson has been seemingly unstoppable for many competitors in the league.
Therefore, when Thompson comes back to his team, he is going to add a shooting efficiency that is nearly untouched by anyone else in the NBA.
On a team that is filled with incredible shooters, Thompson is one of the best.
That means that the Warriors will become even more dangerous and menacing, especially from beyond the arc.
And this all comes at a time when it seems like the Warriors don’t even need the help from Thompson.
The Winning Warriors
The Warriors are currently 25-6 and the number two team in the West.
They are playing their best basketball in years and are without a doubt one of the top contenders to win in the Western Conference and the Finals as well.
Curry is on a tear, breaking records and claiming frontrunner status for MVP right now.
In his first home game since setting the all-time 3PM mark, @StephenCurry30 drops 30 PTS to lift the @warriors to the dub 🙌 pic.twitter.com/knTTy05PpF
— NBA (@NBA) December 21, 2021
Meanwhile, other players on the team such as Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green are all doing their part to make the team beastly.
Even before Thompson’s rehab came to a close, the Warriors were a wildly successful team but now they stand the chance to get even better.
Burned By The Suns?
There are just a couple of things that could prevent the Warriors from getting even better with Thompson’s return: team chemistry and the red-hot Phoenix Suns.
As great as Thompson is, there is always a risk of a team’s dynamic being negatively affected when someone returns to the fold.
Thompson is an incredible player, as are the rest of the Warriors, but sometimes it takes time for all of that talent to work well as a unit.
There is a chance that the team might not function as great as they should right away and that leaves an opening for the Suns.
The Suns are mind-blowing this year.
They are actually the number one team in the West and are a threat on both sides of the court.
So if the Warriors are not playing to 100 percent of their capabilities right away, the Suns will continue to dominate and could put some distance between the two teams.
But if Thompson’s return goes smoothly, the Suns – and every other team in the league – should be very, very afraid.
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