Golden State Warriors officially rule out Klay Thompson for 2019-2020 season

The Golden State Warriors have ruled out a mid-season return for Klay Thompson, the team’s five-time All-Star shooting guard.

While at one point his return was hopeful, the Golden State Warriors have made an unsurprising move, shutting down any chance at a return for Klay Thompson. Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. That was June 13, 2019.

The Warriors eventually lost that game, and after Thompson dropped 30 through three quarters, it was brutal to see him head to the locker room with what many suspected to be a major lower-body injury.

It was the traditional Game 6 explosion from Thompson that was only halted with the most significant injury to this point in his career.

The rehab was expected to take him well into the spring, but had the Warriors been in playoff contention, Thompson could’ve likely returned. This seemly strictly based on the fact that Golden State is far from playoff contention, ranking dead last in the Western Conference.

ESPN’s Nick Friedell first reported the news and also caught up with head coach Steve Kerr who predicted Thompson would be out all season from the beginning. He said, “This is what I expected from the beginning given the severity of the injury.”

Everyone wants Thompson to play. Thompson was Thompson to play, but at this point and with the Warriors having just 12 wins, it’s pointless for him to come back just to play in meaningless games.

Stephen Curry also having missed the bulk of the season helps with the decision to keep Thompson sidelined. However, had Curry played, the team would’ve likely been in playoff contention as well.

Ultimately, Thompson, who will have about 16 months off to rehab, should be able to come back just as strong as ever. Let’s hope the added time will fully heal that ACL and help him return to dominance later in 2020.