Warriors star Klay Thompson has already done more in his career than most players dream of. A 5x All-Star, 4x Champion, and 2x All-NBA player, Klay is as accomplished as they come.
Still, after suffering an ACL tear and later an Achilles injury, the star sharpshooter didn’t fold or quit as many in his position would have. He worked hard to get healthy, get back on the court, and play elite basketball.
It led to an impressive performance last season (given the circumstances), but Warriors coach Steve Kerr says Thompson could be in store for another jump in this campaign.
Steve Kerr Says Klay Thompson Is Going To Have A Bounce Back Year
Here’s what he told the media about what he expects from the 32-year-old NBA veteran:
“Our training staff repeatedly has told him and told us over the last year he’ll be better this year than he was the second half of last year, just because of the nature of the injury,” Kerr said. “I expect him to have a big year and be more consistent. I thought he showed that he was still himself last year, but it was more sporadic. I think it’ll be more consistent this year. I think we’re all sort of anticipating that.”
Kerr expects Klay to “have a big year and be more consistent” after a rehab-free summer 🥲 pic.twitter.com/FkN1f9TUpM
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 22, 2022
Suffering two major injuries back-to-back like that is the kind of thing that ends careers for professional players. Instead, Thompson came back with a vengeance, going on to eventually lead the Warriors in minutes played during the postseason.
Klay finally returned to the court on January 3, 2022, 941 days after he last played in an NBA game in June 2019. He didn’t look like the same reliable second-option that Stephen Curry has always had, but he worked to that form by the time the playoffs came around. Thompson led the Warriors in minutes played in their 2022 championship run, averaging 36 minutes played across 22 post-season games. He thanked the Warriors’ trainers after they won the title.
Joined by Steph, Draymond, Wiggins, and Poole, Thompson will have plenty of help on the court as he attempts to play his way back into All-Star form.
In the meantime, all of his teammates, coaches, and friends are doing whatever they can to support Klay and help him achieve excellence for another year of his storied career.
