How Will Klay Thompson’s Return Rejuvenate the Golden State Warriors?
Klay Thompson is one of the Golden State Warriors’ greatest ever players, with some saying he’s the best shooter in NBA history after his teammate, Stephen Curry. That’s why it’s been devastating seeing him sidelined for so long with a torn ACL and ruptured Achilles tendon. After a two-and-a-half-year absence, the 31-year-old is back on the court and could be ready to take an already strong Warriors team all the way to the NBA finals.
Back to Take the Burden Off Curry
Thompson’s first appearance in a Warriors jersey since the 2018-19 season was glorious. In the 96-82 win over Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles-born shooting guard picked up 17 points as reported by cbssports.com. In doing so, he became the second-fastest player in NBA history behind Curry to 1,800 career threes. This impressive feat shows how Thompson’s still got it, and he’s ready to take some of the burden off his teammates for the rest of the campaign.
Prior to Thompson’s injury, the Warriors were flying high in the NBA with consecutive division titles spanning across five seasons from 2015 to 2019. On top of that, the San Francisco-based franchise won Championships in 2015, 2017, and 2018. With Thompson out on the sidelines, though, they have been unable to continue this success.
During the last two seasons, Curry has been in the conversation to win the Most Valuable Player award but lost out to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons respectively. Still, there is no doubt that the 33-year-old has been tasked with carrying the team in Thompson’s absence and his case for MVP is even stronger this season as per sportscasting.com. Unfortunately, even his incredible shooting displays haven’t quite been enough to pick up any titles for the Warriors over the last two seasons.
Does This Make Warriors Favorites for the NBA Finals?
Thompson’s highly impressive return has forced bookies to reevaluate their predictions for the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors are now considered second-favorites for the trophy after Brooklyn Nets, with both expected to meet in the final based on the Conference betting. These would be considered outright bets, but anyone who wants to stake on Thompson scoring or individual matches could get more information here on https://www.howtobet.com/. There are betting guides, along with information about where to find the best bonus codes.
At the start of the season, the Warriors had been given decent odds to make it to the finals, despite having lost their second play-in game to the Memphis Grizzlies back in May at the end of last season. They’d missed the playoffs for two seasons in a row, so it was surprising to see experts predicting a top finish. They may have been anticipating Thompson’s return, and the massive impact he would have. Some were unsure about how he would play after so long out, but he certainly proved his doubters wrong upon his return.
With the Warriors enjoying a strong start to the season and now having Thompson back in the fold, they look like a force to be reckoned with again. There’s a good chance they’ll make the playoffs this year and maybe even win the finals.
