{"id":26523,"date":"2019-10-22T12:06:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-22T16:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=26523"},"modified":"2019-10-22T12:06:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-22T16:06:11","slug":"klay-thompson-unlikely-to-return-from-acl-injury-in-2019-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2019\/10\/22\/klay-thompson-unlikely-to-return-from-acl-injury-in-2019-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Klay Thompson “Unlikely” to Return from ACL Injury in 2019-20"},"content":{"rendered":"

Klay Thompson<\/a><\/strong> tore his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. A vital part of the Golden State Warriors<\/a> dynasty, many expected Thompson to return after the 2020 All-Star break. According to Steve Kerr<\/a>, though, Thompson is “unlikley” to see the floor this season.<\/p>\n

Klay Thompson Likely Out for Season with ACL Injury<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There may not be a team in the NBA that has taken a bigger hit in the past four months than the Warriors. Not only did Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong> — a two-time Finals MVP — depart for the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>, but now it seems they’ll be without the second “Splash Brother” for longer than expected. When Thompson went down with a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, many speculated he could be back by the 2020 All-Star break. However, Kerr’s latest comments have all but shut down that narrative.<\/p>\n

“It’s unlikely that he’s going to play this year,” Kerr told NBC Sports<\/a> Bay Area. “You have to look at it realistically. Generally, an ACL for a basketball player is a full-year recovery, and if it’s a full year for Klay, that puts them out for the season.”<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBCSWarriors\/status\/1186643588119191553?s=20<\/p>\n

Kerr added that the team has “left the door open” in case Thompson’s rehab goes well, but also that he still remains pessimistic about a potential return. Perhaps hoping for a nine-month recovery period was nothing more than wishful thinking for both Warriors and NBA fanatics. In reality, most players need close to a full 12 months to fully recover from such an injury.<\/p>\n

The Warriors will still be playoff contenders in the Western Conference, but it seems virtually impossible for them to make a title run without Thompson. He has been the hero for the Warriors in recent playoffs with multiple season-saving performances. Now, a team that once featured five All-Stars in its starting lineup feels vacant as\u00a0Stephen Curry<\/a><\/strong> and D’Angelo Russell<\/a><\/strong> will be tasked with keeping the Warriors afloat amidst all the recent roster turnover.<\/p>\n

In a word, the 2019-20 season will be “different” for the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>