Warriors Star Klay Thompson Still Ways Away From Return

There is no saying when Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson might return. But it’s starting to sound like it won’t be for the tip off of the regular season in mid-October.

“If you were to watch Klay, certainly, at this point working out, if you didn’t know, you’d say, ‘Well, this guy looks like he can play now,'” Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters. “But he hasn’t played 5-on-5 in quite some time, so that’s up to the training staff and it’s up to the individuals to see when that’s the right time to come back. But we’ll tell you. I just don’t have the exact answer to those questions yet.”

Thompson tore his ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals. He missed all of the 2019-20 season. Then he tore his Achilles tendon prior to the start of last season — and missed all of that, too.

He has been taking part of individual drills, but is not yet ready for 5-on-5 or full practices as the Warriors open training camp.

There is no timetable for his return, with Myers only saying “sometime maybe in December, maybe in January, I don’t know when.”

According to Golden State coach Steve Kerr, Thompson has picked the brain of former teammate and current Nets star Kevin Durant, who has bounced back from a torn Achilles of his own.

Of course, that was just an Achilles. Thompson has had both an Achilles and ACL. But it never hurts to seek advice.

“I know Klay has been in touch with Kevin Durant, and they have talked about Kevin’s return and healing process,” Kerr said. “We need to give Klay some time. He’s in great shape. He’s going to take part in a lot of training camp coming up. No contact yet, but a lot of the activities. He’s real excited about where he is.”

Thompson, 31, is 6-foot-6 and averaged 21.5 points on 47 percent shooting in his last full season of 2018-19. He was 40 percent on 3-pointers, which actually tied his career-worst.

The Warriors open the season Oct. 19 with a visit to the Lakers.