Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson appeared in his second game of the 2021-22 season. The last time he stepped on a court before this season was the 2019 NBA Finals. It was 941 days without basketball. Thompson is a player who really loves the game, so not being able to play was torture for the star.
Now that Thompson is back playing, it's another obstacle he must overcome. The Warriors have him on an unpleasant minutes restriction.
“It's probably the biggest challenge for me. … I want to play 35. But I got to dial it back, and accept the reality of what the last two years were like. You can't just take that much time off and jump into a 40-minute ball game,” Warriors star Klay Thompson told ClutchPoints.
Klay Thompson on his minutes restriction:
"It's probably the biggest challenge for me… I want to play 35. But I got to dial it back, and accept the reality of what the last two years were like. You can't just take that much time off and jump into a 40-minute ball game."
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) January 12, 2022
*Click here for Warriors championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel*
All Thompson wanted to do when he was away from the game was play ball. Now that he's here, he's grateful to the staff who helped get him to this point, and he trusts them thoroughly.
Thompson would be participating more than he should if he had the final decision, which could hurt him in the long run. The best thing to do in this situation is to be patient. The time will come sooner than later.
*Warriors Multiverse podcast every Thursday click here for the latest episode*
Once all restrictions are gone, you might get to see the old Klay Thompson. Whether it's knocking down double-digit 3-pointers or scoring 60 in three quarters, great things are heading Thompson and Dub Nation's way.
Next, the Warriors head to Milwaukee to face the defending champions. It could be a potential preview of this season's NBA Finals. But for now, it's a great matchup between East and West teams.
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