"Optimism" Klay Returns on Sunday, per Woj
The top story of today is that, per ESPN’s star reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors are optimistic Klay Thompson will make his debut from an over 2-year absence on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thompson’s return has been long-anticipated by Warriors fans, as he has been an integral piece to each of the team’s last three title runs. One of the most electric players in the league, Thompson was sidelined for a year due to an ACL injury suffered against the Raptors in the 2019 Finals, and was forced to take another season off after a freak incident in the preseason left him with a ruptured Achilles.
To fans even outside the Bay Area, Klay Thompson has always been a fun player to watch. There is arguably no player in the league quite like him, capable of guarding the opposing team’s best player and dropping 40, 50, even 60 points while barely dribbling the basketball. He’s also accredited as one of the only guys who could seamlessly fit in any lineup and make a team instantly better.
While he’s not necessarily expected to return at 100%, Thompson’s scrimmage footage has given fans a lot of hope that he will be nearing his former self when he makes his return to the floor. All reports indicate that he’s looking excellent in practice, and while it will take a bit for him to get his defensive aptitude back, game IQ is something you don’t lose.
Neither is shooting touch apparently, as there was a recent video showing Thompson ring off 24-straight threes in pregame shoot-around earlier this week.
While there is no solid guarantee yet, as Woj reports the team will know by Friday whether or not that’s the final return date, it’s been hypothesized for awhile that this would be the game. January 9th is the end of a road trip and the first game the Warriors will have at home in awhile. Against an old rival in the Cleveland Cavaliers no less, it would be a storybook return at the Chase Center in front of the fans.
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