Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed in an interview that he's not expecting to see sharpshooter Klay Thompson play at all this season.
“It's unlikely that he's going to play this year,” Steve Kerr told Logan Murdock of NBC Sports Bay Area during an “NBA Season Tip-Off” special. “So we have to understand that.”
The Warriors marksman was expected to return after the All-Star break after sustaining a torn ACL injury in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors in June. Thompson did not undergo surgery until July, which initially pushed his recovery timeline a little further than expected.
Other players have suffered similar injuries in the past, like Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who sat out 11 months while Atlanta Hawks forward Jabari Parker missed nearly an entire year.
Kerr tore his ACL while in college at Arizona and believes Thompson could be on the same timeline as the aforementioned players.
“You have to look at it realistically,” said Kerr. “I had an ACL [tear] in college, and I missed a whole season. Generally, an ACL for a basketball player is a full-year recovery, and if it's a full year for Klay, that puts them out for the season.
“We've kind of left the door open in case the rehab goes perfectly and the doctors say he can go. But the reality is, on April 1, that’s the nine-month mark. … April versus nine months post-op for an ACL.
“We have to prepare our young guys to fill that role behind him, and when he gets back, whenever that is, hopefully these young guys now are developed and in the rotation and ready to really be contributors on a playoff team and we can get better.”
Thompson was expected to return earlier than others, given an impeccable track record of being available for his team, even with injuries that would put others out for several days or even weeks. Yet every player has its limits, and the Warriors aren't willing to push Thompson to those, taking in account that they signed him to a five-year, $190 million deal this summer, banking on his long-term health.
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