Before the NBA season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Golden State Warriors officially ruled Klay Thompson out for the year.
After suffering a torn left ACL in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals, the five-time All-Star has been sidelined for every game on the 2019-20 calendar.
In early March, Thompson was cleared for non-contact drills in practice. The injured guard was spotted going through layup lines and shooting drills without a knee brace.
After being named to the preliminary roster by Team USA basketball, Thompson hasn’t ruled out the potential of playing in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Team USA is expected to finalize its 12-man roster for the Olympics in June.
In an interview with Mark Medina of USA Today, Mychal Thompson offered up some insight on the status of his son’s injury during the shutdown.
Via Mark Medina of USA Today:
I don’t know. He’s walking around fine. Who knows if he’s cleared to play. He has to get that clearance from his doctors and the Warriors. They haven’t talked about that yet.
While NBA training facilities are shut down, Thompson hasn’t had the opportunity to continue rehab with the Warriors. The Golden State sharpshooter will have to work on his own until shelter in place orders are lifted before returning to Chase Center.
With the Warriors sitting at the bottom of the NBA standings, there’s no reason to hurry Thompson back regardless of how long the season is on hold. If the Warriors plan to return to the top of the Western Conference next season, they will need Thompson fresh and healthy.
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