The Golden State Warriors secured a 96-87 win over the Washington Wizards in Japan on Friday as the defending champs continued with their pre-season preparations ahead of the new campaign. Klay Thompson was unable to suit up for the exhibition matchup, however, and it has now been revealed that the five-time All-Star will also be sitting out Sunday's rematch against the Wizards.
Before Friday's victory, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spilled the beans on Thompson's current status. According to the four-time NBA champion coach, the team just didn't feel like Klay was ready to go (via Kendra Andrews of ESPN):
“Just feel more comfortable giving him a little more of a ramp up,” Kerr said. “He's just not quite ready to play at this point just based on where, you know, we're so early in camp. We just want to be safe and make sure he gets a good ramp up before he plays in games.”
Kerr also pointed out that this is the first time in three years that Thompson has had a full summer to prepare for the season ahead. As such, the Warriors don't want to rush anything:
“Just coming off the two years with the injuries, this is really unique to play a game after 3½ practices so we're just being cautious and trying to do the smart thing,” Kerr said.
This makes a lot of sense. All in all, it sounds like Klay Thompson's just fine, and that this is nothing more than a precautionary measure.
Thompson looked like his usual dangerous self last season, and it didn't feel like he sat out the two previous campaigns. He played 32 games upon returning to the lineup, putting up averages of 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while also knocking down a career-best 3.6 triples per game on a 38.5-percent clip.
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