Draymond Green's take on Klay Thompson's return won't please Warriors fans

The Golden State Warriors have the best record in the NBA right now. Stephen Curry just broke the all-time record for most three-pointers made, and Klay Thompson is on the verge of coming back. What’s not to like?

The Warriors have been able to stay at the top of the Western Conference even without one of their best players. Thompson has been out since the 2019 NBA Finals and has endured back-to-back season-ending injuries.

That’s why, even if Thompson will be a massive boost for a team poised to make a run at a championship, Draymond Green thinks people shouldn’t get ahead of themselves when it comes to his comeback.

Draymond Green Says He Won’t Get His Hopes Up Over Klay Thompson’s Return

“I’m not going to get my hopes up to get let down, and I hope you don’t either,” Green said, as quoted by NBC Sports. “To be quite honest with you, I know just as much about Klay’s return as you do. And that’s nothing. We know he’s returning at some point and that’s about all I know. The same reports you read like Christmas Day before Christmas Day is the same reports I read. That’s kind of how it’s gone.”

“So I just kind of stay here, stay focused, try not to anticipate that, try to let him work on his own terms,” Green added.“One thing I know about being hurt … you start to feel the anticipation of everyone around you in the circle when that starts to mount up, and the reality is that I don’t think he should feel that. I don’t really think that’s fair to him and his process, his mentals.”

Green explained how anxiety, expectations, and the mental aspect of the game can take a massive toll on Thompson’s performance. That’s why he doesn’t want people to start talking about banners in December:

“He may not be ready mentally, right? His body can be great but is he ready tomorrow mentally? He could not be. So I don’t want him to feel that anxiety and that pressure that I know comes with it when everybody’s looking like, ‘Oh man, he about to be back. Hey Klay, you back?’ That anxiety, it adds up and it weighs on you. So, no, I’m not anticipating it all but I am very excited about it. When they set a date, I’ll anticipate that date. Until then, I try to keep my hopes very even-keeled,” the former DPOY concluded.

Thompson has been out a long time. He’s repeatedly said that he’s ready and eager to get back out there but it’ll take some time before he gets used to the speed of the game and he gets his legs back under him. Whatever is the case, it’ll be great to have one of the greatest shooters of all time back on the court.