© Sergio Estrada | 2019 Jun 13
The NBA might be back, but Klay Thompson is far from it. That’s according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who told NBC Sports’ Logan Murdock that Warriors fans shouldn’t expect to see Thompson, who sustained a torn ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 13, until next season
“It’s unlikely that he’s going to play this year,” Kerr told NBC. “So we have to understand that.”
“You have to look at it realistically,” the Warriors coach said. “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.”
That timeline fits with the last two NBA players to sustain torn ACLs. Bulls forward Zach Lavine missed 11 months and Hawks forward Jabari Parker was out for a year. Thompson has said previously that he hopes to return after the All-Star break February, but this is also a guy who tried to check back in the game after tearing the ACL during Game 6.
“We have to prepare our young guys to fill that role behind him, and when he gets back, whenever that is, hopefully these young guys now are developed and in the rotation and ready to really be contributors on a playoff team and we can get better.”