Andre Iguodala was hopeful to see his Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson back in uniform around the All-Star break after the latter suffered a torn ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
“Klay will be back in February, I hope,” said Iguodala on the set of ESPN's First Take (via Sam Amick of The Athletic). “It's not over.”
February will be around the favorable end of a 8-12-month window for his recovery from this type of injury — one that is not expected to minimize his skill set, but nonetheless set him back at a pivotal moment, as he was making the right strides at the prime of his NBA career.
Thompson bounced back remarkably from a horrid slump to start the 2018-19 season, shooting around 34% from deep for the first half of the season, yet coming back to finish a formidable 40% from distance — keeping a streak of eight straight seasons shooting the trey at a 40% or better mark.
The 2019-20 season will be the first in which Thompson has missed more than 15 games since his rookie season, a testament to his iron man reputation and willingness to suit up for the team in every chance given.
The marksman had played in 119 straight playoff games before being strongly encouraged to sit out for Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a hamstring injury. He would return the following game and play 42 minutes, doing so again in Game 5 before exiting early in Game 6 with a gut-wrenching ACL injury.
The Warriors won't rush Thompson back if he agrees to a max contract this offseason, likely prioritizing his long-term health than his immediate return to the court. The hope is that he has a speedy recovery and that he can return by February, as Iguodala predicted.
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