A new report indicates that Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will now have no restrictions when it comes to training on his once-injured knee.
Thompson was given medical clearance to begin workouts a few weeks ago and has begun to increase the intensity of his efforts, including a vigorous workout on Thursday.
Despite that positive news, a reality check for Thompson’s fans was offered by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, who indicated that the All-Star is far from being game-ready.
“This doesn’t mean Thompson could compete in an NBA game right now,” Slater wrote. “There are many conditioning checkpoints still to be met.”
The 30-year-old Thompson has spent the past year recovering from an ACL injury to his left knee that was suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. A reduction in the swelling from Thompson’s June 13 injury was necessary before he underwent a July 2 surgery.
Thompson’s subsequent absence was part of the reason that the Warriors endured a 15-50 record for the 2019-20 campaign, after reaching the NBA Finals five straight times and winning three league titles.
The Warriors’ miserable year made them one of the eight NBA teams not invited to July’s Orlando bubble, but their situation may evolve during the next few months. The NBA is considering whether to allow those eight teams the opportunity to conduct mini-camps.
Right now, the NBA’s current restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic restrict players from scrimmaging, though those limits could change next month.
As far as when Thompson will again take the court in an official NBA game, that date also remains unknown. The league and players have yet to agree upon an official starting date for the 2020-21 season.
