Klay Thompson helped the Warriors take down the Lakers with his 3rd quarter push, but will he be there to do the same tonight?
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The Golden State Warriors kicked off their 2022-23 campaign with a win. They took down LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 on Opening Night. Winning the first game after receiving rings for their 2022 Championship set the tone right for the team.
Klay Thompson, who won his 4th championship with the Warriors, was ecstatic to see his ring.
This ring not only serves as a reminder of their success last season. It also shows the Dubs what they’re putting the work in for, and what they should aspire for in the new season.
While the last game’s win could also be attributed to it being ring night, tonight is when we see the Dubs’ true mettle. They host 2x MVP Nikola Jokic and his Nuggets. However, fans question whether Klay will play tonight.
Is Klay Thompson playing tonight?
Klay Thompson played his first opening night after four years on Wednesday. After missing it for the first three seasons, we could see his excitement for the same. Klay delivered an 18-point performance while playing just 19 minutes. He also had two rebounds, three assists, and a steal at the same time. Klay’s third-quarter outburst helped the Dubs put the Lakers in the rear view mirror.
After consultation with the team’s medical staff, the coaching staff has put a limit on Klay’s minutes. Thompson is returning from two career-altering injuries, and they do not want to take any risks with their star shooter. He was set to play 20 minutes at max against the Lakers, and he did just so.
Tonight, he will have a minutes restriction yet again.
Steve Kerr said he expects Klay Thompson and Draymond Green should have their minute restriction lifted to a normal regular season level within a couple weeks. Klay was at 20 in opener, Draymond 25. Maybe a gradual bump Friday vs Nuggets.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 20, 2022
What can we expect from Klay this season?
After missing 941 days of basketball action, Klay returned to the court on 9th January. During that time, he was snubbed from the NBA’s Top-75 list. This snub affected Klay a lot. Since then, he’s made sure whatever he does trends in favor of making people remember who he truly is.
The Warriors’ star can be expected to turn on his flamethrower, which we haven’t seen so far since his return. We saw glimpses but nothing of the sort that we know he’s capable of. Thompson averaged over 20 points in the 32 games he played last season, which in itself was a huge win for the team.
However, Klay knows he can give more, and that’s precisely what he’ll try to do, as the Dubs look to defend their championship.
