The Golden State Warriors (23-5) have the best record in the NBA. Now, it sounds like they are going to get even better.
Klay Thompson and James Wiseman have both been recalled from the G-League, meaning they are one step closer to making their return.
The pair have been rehabbing from leg injuries for the past year, and in Thmopson’s case, the past two. Thompson tore his left ACL in 2019 and later tore his right Achilles in 2020. Wiseman tore his right meniscus earlier this year and had surgery in April.
The two of them have slowly been making progress, with things ramping up in the recent weeks. Both were playing with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors last month and were recalled before being sent back down. The two spent last week in Santa Cruz and have now been called up again, signaling a return may be coming soon.
When asked if the team expected a return any time soon, Warriors’ GM Bob Myers told media Tuesday “We haven’t even decided internally when it’ll be, but the good news is there’s a light. If you’re in this tunnel, it’s been a long tunnel for Klay to see this light. The closer we get—I want to see him play so bad. As it gets closer, I kind of get more patient. This is me personally, because I know it’s coming.”
“I’ve seen him scrimmage, looks really good. I’ve seen him build endurance,” Myers continued, “I’ve seen him from two weeks ago or three weeks ago to a few days ago and I see him getting better, getting stronger and I see the purpose of all this. When he gets back, we need that.”
In Wiseman’s case, he reached his Optimal Recovery Time last week. His Injury Risk is High, at 27% and will likely remain so for at the very least a few weeks. His Health Performance Factor, on the other hand, is considered Peak at 87%. In Thomspon’s case, it is more difficult to predict considering his tandem of injuries. It is safe to assume he will need to spend a bit more time getting back into the swing of things and becoming reacclimated with the speed of the NBA. Once he does return, it is hard to imagine an NBA playoff without Golden State.
