Warriors’ Klay Thompson remembers pain of watching but plans to change that

Feb 16, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) holds the ball over his head after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) holds the ball over his head after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors want Klay Thompson back, and Klay Thompson wants to be back.

Thompson has been the past few games, both Warrior losses, with an illness after a severe headache first hit the five-time All-Star following the team’s win on Thursday night over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Golden State Warriors need Klay Thompson to return, and after missing several years, the star doesn’t want to remember the pain of being sidelined.

Thompson has missed most of the season, initially tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and then rupturing his Achilles while rehabbing for the 2020-2021 season. Thompson finally is back, and was not happy to be sidelined with an illness.

“I’m playing. I didn’t come all the way to Dallas to watch,” Thompson said at a media session on Wednesday.  “Been doing a lot of watching the last few years, and you just feel helpless. I hate that,” he continued with.

Thankfully, he’s back, and the Warriors need him to be great. The Warriors have struggled mightily as of late and are just 2-5, most recently losing to the Timberwolves.

Prior to that tough defeat, the Warriors allowed Dallas a 19-point comeback. The Mavs outscored Golden State by 20 in the fourth and won the game, shocking the Chase Center crowd. That game may have been different had Thompson been on the court.

While Thompson’s return to the court didn’t start out game, with him struggling to find his rhythm and having many inefficient games, recently, things have turned out for one of the best shooters of all time.

On the season, Thompson is averaging 17.1 points per game and shooting 42.3% from the field. Over his last 10 games though, he’s at 18.8 per game on 44.7% shooting. This illness may throw off his rhythm, but it should return in the coming games.

The Warriors are 10-7 with Thompson, many games of which have been without Green as well. He’s been a steady force, and hopefully, his return will help the Warriors snap their two-game losing streak.