Getty Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoirng a three point basket during the fourth quarter of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on April 10, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA Playoffs and shooting guard Klay Thompson has a message for the competition.
He’s back.
The Warriors clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference on the final day of the regular season with a 128-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Thompson dropped 41 points in that game, making it his third straight contest with 33-plus points scored on better than 50% shooting.
When speaking with the media after the win on Sunday night, April 10, Thompson stopped short of guaranteeing any Golden State victories this postseason. What he did guarantee is that as the second half of the Dubs’ famed “Splash Brothers” duo, he has returned to pre-injury form — just in case anyone has any doubts despite his stellar on-court performances of late.
“I’m back and I’m so ready for next weekend,” Thompson said. “It’s gonna be a dog fight, but we’re ready.”
“Lot of ups and downs for myself this season, but I stuck with it and I will continue to do that,” he added. “[We have] some great momentum going into the playoffs, and I can’t wait. … Having to watch the last two years was painful, so to be back and to be a part of it — I get geeked thinking about it.”
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Thompson Details Mentality During Comeback Struggles
Getty/Ezra ShawKlay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors asks the crowd to get fired up against the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Getting back to his old self was hardly a simple task for Thompson. He spent two full seasons sidelined with injury, first due to a torn ACL suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. That was followed by a torn achilles tendon as he neared the conclusion of his rehabilitation from the first injury.
The Dubs’ five-time All-Star shooting guard also sat out the first 38 games of this season, making his debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 9. Thompson’s play has ebbed and flowed throughout much of the year since then, as he re-acclimated to playing a full NBA schedule.
“I pat myself on the back because when you go through the injuries I did, there’s really slow days. There’s so many tedious exercises and just building up your muscles again to do what you love,” Thompson explained. “It was a challenge, something I never had to do before. So to do it twice and to come out and average [20 points this season], man it’s inspiring for myself, and it just makes me want to keep going because I’m still just scratching the surface of what I can become.”
Warriors Hope to Add Steph Curry Back to Lineup For Playoffs
GettyGolden State Warriors stars Klay Thompson (left) and Steph Curry (right) celebrate after a 2019 playoff win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State opens the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, April 16. The old Thompson, a.k.a. the rejuvenated Thompson, will be there, as will a healthy Draymond Green after a back injury sidelined him for 30 games during the middle of the season. The biggest question that remains is: Will two-time MVP Steph Curry be joining them?
Curry suffered a sprained ligament in his foot during the second quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics on March 16 and has not played since. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke to his star player’s status on Sunday, just six days before the team’s postseason run is set to begin.
“We’ll see how everything goes with Steph next week. There’s a chance he could be ready for Game 1, there’s a chance he might not,” Kerr said. “It’s literally going to be a day-to-day thing as it all unfolds this week, and we’ll know a lot more after the next few days when he’s ramping up his work.”
“We won’t practice [Monday], but the guys will come back in on Tuesday,” he added. “But I imagine this will go right down to the wire as far as Game 1 is concerned, whether we know his availability.”
While the exact timetable for Curry’s return is unknown, Thompson expressed optimism Sunday for the possibility that the Warriors will be fully healthy ahead of a playoff run for the first time in three years.
“It’s huge. I’m just really excited,” Thompson said. “I know Dub Nation is ready, and we’ll be ready.”
“We’ve dealt with a lot this year from an adversity standpoint,” he continued. “So many guys have stepped up, our whole roster has done great things. … We’re going to the playoffs almost completely healthy, and I just have great feelings about this year.”