After missing the past two seasons due to severe injuries, Klay Thompson is nearing a long-awaited return to the court with the Golden State Warriors. The shooting guard has gotten through two serious processes to come back to the hardwoods, but he’s happy to see that the Warriors have found capable players to cover him.
Besides an inspired Stephen Curry playing at an MVP level and Draymond pulling the strings on the offense, the Dubs have a group of young players that will keep their title hopes alive for many years to come. The Warriors know they have something good in their hands and even with Curry and Klay out of the picture, the team should be in a good position in the future.
Klay has big expectations for the young guys, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and whoever shows up in the next couple of years. They must emulate or improve what Thompson, Curry, and Green did in the past to make this team a perennial contender.
Via Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck:
“We’re a championship team,” Thompson says. “So when they do step in and take our minutes, we expect them to have the same success we did, as far as just being a contender year in and year out.”
“Banners are timeless. Records are meant to be broken. Individual statistics are meant to be topped. But banners hang forever. I try to tell these young guys that no one cares what your stats are by the end of season. The goal of the game is to win the game.”
Those are big words from Klay. If somebody knows something about winning, that’s him. During his career, the sharpshooter has collected three championships, as well as many individual accolades. He knows he’s still young and can do great things on the court, but is already embracing a mentor role.
Thompson could return at the turn of the year, boosting the Warriors’ chances to win it all. They are demonstrating the dynasty isn’t over yet, just like Klay said two years ago.
