Here’s the Timeline on Klay Thompson’s Return to Play
As we look towards the 2021-2022 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors currently have the fourth-best odds to hoist the championship, preceded by the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still performing at their peak, and with noteworthy veteran additions via free agency to bolster the roster, contending for a championship this year is the goal. A significant factor in Golden State’s favor is the impending return of Klay Thompson.
Thompson, who suffered a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and a torn Achilles a year later in the offseason, is slowly returning from a rehab that kept him out the past two seasons. With Klay back in the lineup, the Warriors will finally have their core trio that spearheaded a dynasty back on the court.
The big question that lies ahead is exactly when we should expect Klay Thompson to suit up for his first game back. A torn ACL and a torn Achilles are two significant injuries, and it’s not a guarantee that Thompson will be back in 100% form immediately. The likelihood is that it will be a gradual process when he does make his eventual return.
Here is what we know regarding Thompson’s estimated return back to playing for the Warriors.
Opening night: hopeful but not likely
The best source for information comes from Klay Thompson himself, who is hoping to make his return sometime “early next season.” Speaking during one of his famous Instagram lives via his boat, Thompson noted that the goal is to return at some point in the early portion of next season, but he did not explicitly mention opening night. For reference, the NBA has dated October 19 as the start of the regular season.
Thompson also noted the expected recovery timeline from an Achilles surgery: “The Achilles is like a 12-month recovery phase. I also have to factor in my left knee. I don’t want to come back and be half myself.”
Klay had his Achilles surgery on November 25, and given the minimum 12-month rehab timeline, that realistically puts his return sometime after opening night. Game 1 is the dream scenario for Thompson, but Golden State, and Klay, don't want to rush back too soon only to jeopardize the larger season.
January, February, or March 2022?
When speaking to the media back in May, Bob Myers echoed the same belief as Thompson when keeping expectations realistic in regards to an opening night return. As Myers noted:
"I don't know that it will be the start of the year, we'll see more as camp gets closer. When I say start of the year I mean Game 1, I don't know if that's realistic or not. What we're focused on is when do we expect Klay to be Klay, and I don't know if that will be January, February, March, it's too early to say.”
The Warriors ideally would love to have Klay back as earliest as possible but an early 2022 return is not the worst case scenario. In any event, a return during that time frame gives Thompson the necessary time to work his way back into form and most importantly, be ready for when basketball matters most: the playoffs.
The postseason start date is April 16, and an early 2022 return for Thompson guarantees he gets ample regular-season time to get acclimated to his new teammates while preparing to return to the starting lineup for the first round of the playoffs.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Though Thompson may not suit up for opening night, the real win is having him back on the court to start with, and then gradually working his way back to his best form. Head coach Steve Kerr echoed this when speaking to Damon, Ratto and Kolsky on 95.7 The Game back in July:
“Good news is [that] really been diligent with his work. He and Rick Celebrini have worked closely all summer, he’s right on schedule. He’s been on the floor running now for the last few weeks. I think the light is finally at the end of the tunnel.
“But you know, we get close to the season, and he gets closer and closer, we’re obviously going to be very, very careful and we’ll lean on the advice of our training staff to let us know when he’s ready to play.”
A minutes restriction for the foreseeable future, when Thompson returns, sounds very likely and is the logical move. Seeing Kevin Durant return to superstar form for the Nets gives Warriors fans hope for Thompson, but playing it safe to start is the right move. Thompson is just as valuable on offense as he is on defense, and having him work his way up to a no minutes restriction is a sound strategy to ensure he’s back to his two-way player form.