Having made his comeback last January after a very long absence, Klay Thompson is however unwell for the whole of the pre-season. Should we be worried about him at Golden State? Asked about the subject, he and his coach delivered a clear and clear update on his physical condition.
If the Warriors could celebrate the return with great fanfare of one of their long-time injuries, the state of health of another has raised questions among their fans. Klay Thompson did not participate in the first pre-season game against the Wizards. It goes even further, as Steve Kerr has said he won’t be in uniform until the regular campaign opener. The coach, however, wanted to be reassuring, explaining his decision to put the number 11 to rest:
I just feel more comfortable giving it a little more time. He’s not quite ready to play at this stage considering we’re in a premature stage of the camp. We just want to be safe and make sure he has a good build up before playing matches. After two years of injuries, it’s really unique to play a match after 3 and a half training sessions, so we are careful and we try to do things intelligently.
Warriors still cautious with Klay Thompson
Given the liability of the partner of Stephen Curry in the backcourt, one can perfectly understand the precautions of the Californians. He is certainly quite well back from his long convalescence last January (20.4 points at 38% behind the arc), but the fact remains that KT missed the Dubs for two and a half years. A relapse is never to be excluded, especially since it was because of this that he had already had to extend his absence. It’s out of the question to take risks, especially with a view to back-to-back.
The good news is that the person concerned understands the situation perfectly, he who has learned to listen to his body and especially the doctors of the Bay like no one else. He also admitted not having played a single match throughout the summer, citing a mental block. However, he remains optimistic about the coming months, determined to win his fifth championship ring. For the rest, he will be content to follow the instructions of the doctors to the letter:
Klay Thompson didn’t play pickup this summer. Called it a “mental block” he will eventually get over because of torn Achilles in summer ball. But that’s slowed his preseason ramp up. Called next week a “big week” as he revs back up for regular season.
Here he is explaining it pic.twitter.com/0ZCCmWYFO1
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 1, 2022
I feel good. There are no words to describe how excited I am. I’m a little sad not to be able to play, but I understand that we have big goals to achieve. Our coaching staff did an amazing job with me last year, I’m not going to force their hand. I mean, they literally set me up for a title run and it worked.
A priori, the fact that Klay Thompson will not play the preseason is not synonymous with concern for the Warriors. The latter simply do not want to take any risks with him, which the full-back fully understands. No need to spoil a successful comeback so far.