It was reported earlier on Thursday that Klay Thompson's much-anticipated return to action has been slightly delayed. The Golden State Warriors no longer expect Thompson to make his season debut prior to Christmas — as originally anticipated — with December 28th penciled in as a new potential target date for the All-Star shooting guard.
There appears to be no major concern surrounding Thompson's rehab, but the fact that the Dubs decided to push back his debut could be considered as some sort of setback. Warriors star Draymond Green has spoken out about the issue at hand and for his part, the former Defensive Player of the Year has decided to keep his expectations in check:
“I’m not going to get my hopes up to get let down, and I hope you don’t either,” Green said on Thursday, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports. “To be quite honest with you, I know just as much about Klay’s return as you do. And that’s nothing. We know he’s returning at some point and that’s about all I know. The same reports you read like Christmas Day before Christmas Day is the same reports I read. That’s kind of how it’s gone.”
Based on his statement above, Green does not appear to have any insider information with regard to Thompson's current status and his much-talked-about return to action. What Dray is well aware of, however, is the harsh reality Klay Thompson has been living in as he continues to work his way back from a two-year spell on the sidelines:
“So I just kind of stay here, stay focused, try not to anticipate that, try to let him work on his own terms,” Green continued. “One thing I know about being hurt … you start to feel the anticipation of everyone around you in the circle when that starts to mount up, and the reality is that I don’t think he should feel that. I don’t really think that’s fair to him and his process, his mentals. He may not be ready mentally, right? His body can be great but is he ready tomorrow mentally? He could not be. So I don’t want him to feel that anxiety and that pressure that I know comes with it when everybody’s looking like, “Oh man, he about to be back. Hey Klay, you back?’ That anxiety, it adds up and it weighs on you. So, no, I’m not anticipating it all but I am very excited about it. When they set a date, I’ll anticipate that date. Until then, I try to keep my hopes very even-keeled.”
Green is speaking from experience here and this is definitely an excellent insight from the Warriors star. We're all so excited about Thompson's return — as we should be — that we have overlooked the possible impact this might have on him mentally. The anticipation is now beyond measure and as Green points out, this has had a huge effect on Thompson from a psychological standpoint. The physical rehab is undeniably the toughest part of Klay's road to recovery but mentally preparing himself for his comeback has also been taking its toll on him, no doubt.
Follow Us
Subscribe