Klay Thompson's return gives Golden State Warriors fans a reason to be optimistic for next season, but he might not be ready for opening night.

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers said “I don't know if that will be realistic or not” when asked whether Thompson would be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season. Myers also indicated the Warriors will likely look to ease Thompson back into action, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Thompson has seemingly made good progress in his recovery from an Achilles injury suffered the night of the 2020 NBA Draft. However, the Warriors have reason to be cautious with his status.

As Myers noted, an Achilles injury typically takes up to 12 months to fully heal. That would put a Thompson return closer to late November, which is likely to be over a month after the start of the 2021-22 season.

Additionally, the totality of Thompson's injury history could play a role for the Warriors organization. Remember, Thompson missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season after suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Those are two significant injuries in a span of under 18 months.

Not having Thompson back for the start of the year might dismay Warriors fans. However, Golden State's future is clearly in good hands with Stephen Curry showing he is still as good a player as any in the league today. The Warriors will also get rookie center James Wiseman—who ideally will make strides in the offseason—back after a trying first season, unless they decide to trade him.

Maybe Thompson surpasses expectations and clears all hurdles, but the Warriors seem to be planning for the star 2-guard to miss the start of the season.