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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 10: Klay Thompson of USA in action during the men’s preliminary round group A match between USA and Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 10, 2016. (Photo by Okan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 10: Klay Thompson of USA in action during the men’s preliminary round group A match between USA and Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 10, 2016. (Photo by Okan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors are gearing up for a bounce-back season. After finishing last in the league in the previous season, they will hope to improve with stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson returning from injuries.
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The Warriors are currently in their own bubble where they are training, and Thompson has left his teammates impressed. He is slowly getting back to his best and the youngsters on the team are eager to play with him.
21-year-old Jordan Poole said, “Just his presence and energy and how he is — just to be able to ask him questions and learn to get his insight, it’s definitely exciting. It just kind of gives us a peek of what it will be like when the entire team is back together.”
“He’s different.”
Lil’ peek of Klay hitting the court in The Dubble 👀
» https://t.co/khaDHjZclP pic.twitter.com/IcKIXdG75A
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 5, 2020
In Thompson’s absence, the rookie Poole was able to get game time. He played 57 games and averaged 8.8 points per game. With Thompson returning, his role could get reduced, but Poole will be eager to learn from him and fight for his place.
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Can Klay Thompson help the Warriors return to contending?
Thompson is returning to the court after over a year of being on the sidelines. He injured his ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals and has not played since then. He will be itching to return and help the Warriors get back to their best.
On paper, a team with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and a top prospect is a contender. But both Curry and Thompson haven’t played for very long. This is why former player Richard Jefferson doesn’t believe that the upcoming season is going to be a title season for the Warriors.
The Warriors might start slow in the regular season, but they should find their feet as the season goes on. By the time the playoffs start, they will have solid chemistry in the team and should ideally be in an excellent position to have a strong playoff run.
At his best, Thompson is one of the best shooters to have played in the league. If the Warriors are able to get even 80% of that for the 2020-21 season, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
