Golden State Warriors preview: Klay Thompson’s second wind

Klay Thompson has checked off every box on his list of recovery goals since suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries with the Golden State Warriors.

Klay Thompson is preparing for a second wind in his career and the Golden State Warriors are counting on it more than ever before.

What’s next for the Splash Brother?

Where we left off

Most recently, Thompson made a successful return to the world of basketball, making his long-awaited debut in January and going on to win a fourth championship with the Warriors.

Thompson’s return may have ended in glory but the road back was full of obstacles. As expected, he was rusty at first and ultimately shot the lowest 3-point percentage of his career (38.5%).

He had some great moments in the playoffs and shot the same exact percentage from deep — but looked a bit more like himself.

What to expect

Thomspon appeared in 32 regular season games last season, fewer than half of the schedule.

This year, with a full offseason of training, Thompson is expecting to ramp up his usage and play more of his typical role with the team.

That means being a menace on defense, drilling 3-point shots and acting as the NBA’s greatest sidekick.

Will the 2022-23 season be a bountiful one for Thompson and the Dubs? I’d bet on it.

Considering he’s made it through the re-introductory phase and is riding a wave of momentum into the season, Thompson is as ready as he’ll ever be.

At his best, another All-Star caliber season is on the way from Thompson. But even if he gives the same output as last year, the Dubs can count on Klay giving them an edge over the competition.

As Thompson enters his mid-30s, everyone will be hoping to see him hit a second wind and age gracefully into the final stage of his career.