Warriors news: Klay Thompson is expected to miss the majority of the 2019-20 NBA season as he continues to recover from the ACL injury he suffered during the NBA Finals. The All-Star guard still expects to return in time before the playoffs, but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that things won't be easy for them while waiting for the return of one of their best players.
In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Kerr said that although they have lost some key players in the offseason, Thompson’s absence will force them to make big adjustments throughout the course of the season.
“Klay being out is really the big change. Losing Kevin, Andre, Shaun, obviously, those are huge losses. Losing Klay on top of all that really changes the way we’re going to have to play at both ends. Klay was always an integral part of everything. Movement on offense, but also the guarding of the ball handler on defense, switching onto bigs. So until he gets back, we’ve got to re-imagine everything and adapt accordingly.”
The Warriors knew that they needed to get someone who can help them fill the void left by Thompson, which is why they have acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Brooklyn Nets. However, just like any newcomer, D’Lo will have to adjust to the team’s system, and that might take time.
With Thompson out, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Russell are expected to carry the bulk of the offensive load for Golden State, and these guys are highly motivated, especially since most people don’t see them as a legitimate title contender. The Dubs have been in this kind of situation before, back in 2014 when nobody thought that they were good enough to win the championship, and a year later, they’ve proven their doubters wrong.
And once Thompson returns, that’s the time that fans will see the full strength of the new-look Warriors. But until then, the team will have to work together to get as many wins as they possibly could. They aren’t good enough compared to the team that they had for the past three years, but with the team’s original Big Three still in tact, they might just shock the world once again.
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