If the Golden State Warriors are going to make it back to the playoffs this season — as some have doubted they will — they probably will have to do it without sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
“It’s unlikely that he’s going to play this year,” Kerr said in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.
Thompson tore his left ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in June and underwent surgery in early July. The standard recovery time for an ACL repair is nine to 12 months.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers said in late September that Thompson would be out until at least the NBA all-star break in mid-February, but as the Dubs start their 2019-20 season this week, even that is looking less and less likely.
“You have to look at it realistically,” Kerr said in the interview. “I had an ACL [tear] in college, and I missed a whole season. 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.”
Kerr continued to say the organization left the door open for a return this season in case Thompson’s rehab went perfectly, but that’s not a smart bet to make.
