Klay Thompson's offseason Achilles tear completely changed the outlook of the Golden State Warriors season and lowered the ceiling for what the team could be. And with Thompson's assertion that fans should expect a return to the dynastic team of the 2010s, any positive update on the status of his Achilles should have all hoops fans all the more excited.

Most recently, Wes Goldberg of the Mercury News reported that Klay Thompson has progressed to the point of mobility work and using an underwater treadmill as part of his rehabilitation.

Klay Thompson sustained an initial ACL tear in the 2019 NBA finals that sidelined him for the entirety of the pandemic-shortened 2020 NBA season.

The following Achilles tear will mean that Klay Thompson won't even see the court until early into the 2021-2022 season.

And while the Warriors were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season, an offseason of retooling has put the Dubs right back into the playoff mix and the team currently sits ninth in the West. But the difference between fifth and ninth is a mere three games, and the NBA's second half has just kicked off.

Klay Thompson's return, orbiting Draymond Green and Steph Curry, would firmly put the Warriors right back into the pool of teams expected to compete for an NBA championship. And with the development of a generational talent like James Wiseman, that championship window only gets larger.

With the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Nuggets, Blazers and even the Mavericks hoping to be the team out of the West in the coming years, the Warriors need to be at full strength now more than ever to compete. Klay Thompson will have to be part of that picture. This is not a negotiable or debatable point for the franchise which has been dealt several significant blows but might have a chance to rebound from them.