The Golden State Warriors couldn't have gotten off to a better start to the 2021-22 NBA season. Following a disappointing campaign, they have already put the critics to rest as they're looking sharper than ever again.
Stephen Curry, of course, hasn't slowed down and now he's getting support from the rest of his teammates. But the best could be yet to come for the Dubs, as Klay Thompson is eyeing a long-awaited return to action.
An ACL injury sustained in the 2019 NBA Finals has prevented the shooting guard from playing a single minute in the 2019-20 campaign before another setback kept him out in 2020-21. So it's no surprise to see he's extremely excited about his return. However, Warriors coach Steve Kerr thinks he should take it one step at a time.
NBA: Steve Kerr explains what Klay Thompson needs to work on before Warriors return
Klay Thompson may have been off the court for two years but he's already looking confident about what he could bring to the red-hot Warriors. For him, the Warriors already are a "championship or bust" type of team.
But Steve Kerr may want Thompson to cool things down for a little bit, as he emphazised on one aspect he needs to work on before he can be at his best again. For Kerr, he'll need to improve his stamina after a long time without playing:
“Especially early when he [Thompson] is scrimmaging, he’s knocking down shots,” Kerr said, per NBC Sports. “But you can see fatigue set in much quicker than we will see in a month, in two months. The endurance stuff is really the key. With endurance comes the rhythm of the shot.
“Obviously, Klay is a guy who, along with Steph, runs more miles than anybody in the NBA, you know, chasing ball-handlers, running off screens it’s a lot of work. It’s hard to shoot when you’re tired. Hard to shoot when you don’t have that endurance. So he’s got a lot of build-up ahead before he can really get back to being himself.”
The excitement around his return is completely normal, and even more Thompson's eagerness to be back. But he may want to listen to his coach, as it's a great advice to keep in mind in case things get complicated at the beginning.
