The torn ACL that caused Klay Thompson to leave the NBA Finals early will keep him out until at least after the league's All-Star break, and probably quite some time beyond that. In fact, that date is significant when it comes to Thompson only because that will be the time when a real update on the status of his knee is given.
For reference, Thompson tore his left ACL on June 13, and got surgery on it on July 2.
Despite having to wait until February for a better idea of where his knee's at (which isn't wholly shocking considering the normal 9-12 month return timetable for a torn ACL) the five-time All-Star is doing well, according to Golden State GM Bob Myers.
"He's doing fine," Myers said on Monday. "We'll have another update on him probably around the All-Star break. Don't construe that as if we think he'll be back by the All-Star break -- that just means we'll have an update then."
Despite the warning that the ASB won't be when he returns, the Warriors are reportedly optimistic that Thompson will partake in game action at some point during the coming 2019-20 season. Furthermore, Thompson revealed that he has no qualms with the Warriors' time frame, and that he won't rush a return to the court.
"I'm going to do what the team says," Thompson said, according to ESPN. "And I've done my due diligence on rehabs and ACL injuries, and the last thing you want to do is rush back, especially for a player like me who wants to play until he's in his late 30s. I want to play at a high level until that point, too. As much as it kills me not to be on the court, patience is a virtue, and rushing back would be not very smart."
In addition to talking about his relatively far-off return, Thompson also spoke of the injury's progress and reiterated a theme about the tedium of rehabbing an injury, which has been spoken about by many-an-athlete who's been in a similar position in the past.
"I mean, the workouts, they're not fun," he said. "You're not on the court putting together dribble packages and getting up jumpers and playing one-on-one. You're doing a lot of tedious exercises just to build back strength and confidence and pass those mental hurdles that might hold you back. So for me, I'm still -- and I'm about to enter phase 2 of the rehab, and it's been a great -- I had surgery July 2, so I've made huge strides since then."
He also stated his belief that the Warriors gave him a five-year/$190 million max extension this past summer despite his fresh injury because they have faith that he'll be back stronger than ever.
"I've become much more sympathetic to all athletes at all levels who go through a major injury or surgery," he said. "It's not fun, and it really tests your patience. But it's our job to come back even stronger, and the team has faith in me to do that. That's why I think they rewarded me with my [contract] extension."
