“If Klay Thompson is healthy in February, the Warriors are meeting the Lakers in the Conference Finals!”: Stephen A Smith re-iterates his faith in the Splash Brothers and Golden State

ESPN Analyst Stephen A Smith claims the Warriors are headed to the Conference Finals if Klay Thompson returns till February

The 2021-22 NBA season is here! The season opener is already on its way, with the Nets visiting the Bucks. The Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Staples Center next. The Warriors fans have a lot of things to look forward to this season.

DubNation hopes Stephen Curry picks up right where he left off last season. We saw glimpses of that in the preseason, and we want more of Curry Flurry throughout the season. We also built a solid bench in the offseason, and saw the emergence of Jordan Poole.

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However, the one thing every Warriors fan is waiting for is the time #11 steps on the court in a Warriors jersey again. Klay Thompson has been out for two consecutive seasons, with two devastating injuries. Initial reports suggest that he should be ready for Christmas Games, but the Warriors don’t want to rush anything.

Stephen A Smith claims a Conference Finals berth is fixed if Klay Thompson returns before March

The Western Conference, just like all previous seasons, has continued to get stronger. The Los Angeles Lakers, after an injury-riddled season, have revamped their roster, and look like the favorites in the West. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook at the core, they look like a shoo-in for the Conference Finals.

Stephen A Smith, who has always been an advocate for the Splash Brothers, still continues to do so. He made the bold claim that the Warriors are going to meet the Lakers in the Conference Finals. However, this only happens if Klay Thompson returns back healthy, by February.

“If [Klay Thompson’s] back by February … [the] Golden State Warriors [are] going to the conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers!”

—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/xmWkLuHD9K

— First Take (@FirstTake) October 19, 2021

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If Klay Thompson returns in that time frame, and is feeling himself, there is surely no limit to what the Warriors can achieve. Thompson would be cleared for contact practices at the end of the month, and the team would observe his progress from there on out.

Till then, the Warriors plan to hold their own, and with Jordan Poole showing up the way he did, it may be easier than they hoped.