Klay Thompson seems to be in his best shape, entering into the last year of his $189,903,600 contract with the Golden State Warriors. Much of Thompson’s previous seasons were plagued by injuries, which made him miss games for over 941 days cumulatively. However, as he prepares himself for the upcoming season, Klay has earned the praise of the Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy. As per an NBC report, Dunleavy is quite excited with Klay’s all-new game shape and is confident about his form for the next season.
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Klay Thompson unfortunately had two lackluster seasons, following his ACL tear in 2019 and a devastating Achilles injury in 2020. Though the Warriors did win the 2022 championship, Klay could not contribute as much compared to his role in the team’s previous championship runs. Now that he is getting into better shape, the Warriors’ contention for the title this season seems even stronger.
Klay Thompson earns praise from GM for his game shape after two lackluster seasons
Klay Thompson is currently in the final year of his five-year $189,903,600 deal with the Warriors. However, two years of that contract weren’t as fruitful, given a season-ending Achilles tear back in 2020. This injury plagued Klay for the next two seasons, resulting in his lackluster performances on the court.
However, with the onset of the 2023-24 season, Thompson seems to be getting into a better shape than ever. He seems to show plausible signs of an undeterred 2023-24 season, which has earned him the praise of General Manager Mike Dunleavy.
The new GM understood the tough years Klay had to go through and appreciated his relentless efforts to rehabilitate and come back stronger. Speaking highly of the star shooting guard, Dunleavy told NBC News,
“For Klay, it’s been tough the last few years with his injuries. He’s (been) doing a lot of rehab, and you get to the point where it’s like, all right. I’m sure he got through our championship season, and just it was in some ways a reset and a letdown, and I think last summer was tough for him. This summer, he’s been a totally different animal and really engaged on it, and like I said, in a great place right now to kick off the season.”
Mike Dunleavy Jr. calls Klay Thompson a “totally different animal” when talking about what a great offseason he has had
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) September 25, 2023
GM Dunleavy very well understands how hard it is for older players to stay in shape before the training camp. Thompson missed two full seasons and played just 32 games when he returned for the 2021-22 season. However, given his current shape, Thompson does look like the same guy he was eight years ago, missing an average of just three games per season.
Klay Thompson avoided playing his regular pickup games after picking up injuries
Klay Thompson’s devastating injuries had hindered him from his regular activities as well. One thing that Klay enjoyed doing was playing pickup basketball games since his teenage years. He would often do the same during the summers following the season as well. However, last summer he avoided doing so.
Klay Thompson didn’t play pickup this summer. Called it a “mental block” he will eventually get over because of torn Achilles in summer ball. But that’s slowed his preseason ramp up. Called next week a “big week” as he revs back up for regular season.
Here he is explaining it pic.twitter.com/0ZCCmWYFO1
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 1, 2022
The injury acted as a mental block for Klay, acting as a hindrance to his daily activities. However, since last year, Thompson has been shaping himself up better to be in the best shape for the following seasons. Perhaps, this season indeed might serve as a comeback for him with the Warriors.
