SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 25: Injured Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts on the bench after the Warriors made a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chase Center on November 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors superstar Klay Thompson has been “training without restriction” for the past couple of weeks.
Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson appears to be fully recovered. After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals 371 days ago, the five-time All-Star has been “training without restriction” for the past couple of weeks after being medically cleared, according to a report from The Athletic.
Thompson’s injury occurred when he was fouled on a dunk attempt and landed awkwardly on his left knee. Although the full extent of the injury wasn’t known until later on, the 6-foot-6 guard was able to make two free throws, jog up the court and walk to the locker room under his own power.
Now that he has “essentially reached the finish line of his left knee rehab, as medically approved by his physician” and is reportedly doing “high-octane” training sessions, Thompson’s next step will be participating in the team’s minicamp in preparation for the 2020-21 season. With a minicamp and extended offseason under his belt due to the team not being in the playoffs, expect the Warriors star to be back at full strength along with the rest of the roster.
Whether or not Thompson will experience some rust in the early portion of next year’s schedule remains to be seen. This was the first major injury of his career as Thompson had never played less than 66 games in a single season. That includes three seasons of 80-plus games (2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16).
Regardless, even if he wasn’t 100 percent healthy, Thompson is still one of the greatest shooters in the current generation. Now he has more time to get his defense, lateral quickness and athleticism back up to speed. The same holds true for his backcourt mate, Stephen Curry, who was limited to five games this season due to a hand injury.
After a down year for the Warriors, the 2020-21 season could be a comeback party for the Splash Brothers.