After returning to Chase Center riding a three-game win streak on the road, the league-best 14-2 Golden State Warriors received more positive news before opening a homestand on Sunday with a contest against the Toronto Raptors.
According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Klay Thompson has been fully cleared to return to all Warriors practices. The 31-year-old shooting guard has missed the past two seasons due to knee and Achilles injuries.
With Thompson back on the court at practice, he could return to the Warriors lineup “within the week of Christmas,” per Charania and Slater.
Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:
After strong week of scrimmages, Klay Thompson has been cleared to be a full participant in all Warriors practices, trending toward return within week of Christmas, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater.https://t.co/0UsfjrL5Ub
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2021
Thompson hasn’t played in a game since suffering a torn ACL injury in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals. It’s been almost two and half years since Thompson has laced up for an NBA contest.
After opening the season with the best record in the association, the Warriors will likely continue to be patient with Thompson even if he’s cleared to make a full return to practice.
Before meeting the defending Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns on Christmas day in the desert, the Warriors play a pair of games against the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center the week of the holiday. If the Warriors want to plug Thompson back in the lineup while the team is playing at home, the games against Sacramento and Memphis could be options.
As the Warriors continue to cruise to start the season, Thompson will likely ramp up conditioning and work on getting game-ready as he closes the final stages of his extended rehab before making his long-awaited return to Golden State’s lineup.
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