Klay Thompson will make his much anticipated Warriors return at some point this season, we just don't know when.
But there is reason for optimism on his progress, as Stadium's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Thompson could be cleared for full practice "over the next month or so."
"From there it's just going to be about him ramping up, him rehabbing and continue to figure out at what pace do (the Warriors) want to bring him back and when do they feel comfortable with him back," Charania continued.
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"It's not just going to be he gets cleared for practice after two major injuries and then just goes into playing. So, there will be a ramp-up period. I would look somewhere in the December-January range for his return. But the Warriors will be cautious. They've been doing a lot of data and science and leaning a lot on data and science, I'm told. So I would expect them to continue to do that.
"But for him to be cleared for full practice over the next month, that is optimistic news. And then you have him back in the lineup. Jordan Poole has been playing amazing basketball so far in the preseason, so there is hope for this Warriors season."
Thompson, of course, is recovering from two major injuries - a torn ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 13, 2019 and then a torn Achilles on Nov. 18, 2020. Thompson hasn't played an NBA game since that fateful Game 6, where he was at the absolute peak of his powers, scoring 30 points in 32 minutes.
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Thompson has looked "great" doing individual work at Warriors practice so far, and all signs continue to point toward a debut in December or January, as Charania reported.
Coach Steve Kerr already said that Thompson's first game back will occur at Chase Center. There surely won't be an open seat in the house for what surely will be the most hyped regular-season Warriors game in ages.
