Klay Thompson injury update: Warriors star guard cleared to go 100 percent, made first 18 shots in practice – CBSSports.com

Klay Thompson is getting closer and closer to a return to action, which is expected to come sometime before Christmas. In the most recent update, Thompson has been cleared to go 100 percent and has started practicing with the Warriors‘ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. 

On Monday, we got some footage of Thompson in action and heard from the man himself, as well as Santa Cruz’s head coach, Seth Cooper. “I hate to use the phrase ‘can’t wait,’ because I love to be present in my life,” Thompson said. “But I cannot wait. I really, really enjoy being a Warrior.”

Even if it’s just a few clips in a G League practice, it’s great to see Thompson back on the court. Unsurprisingly, he’s been locked in right from the get go. According to Cooper, he couldn’t miss when he first stepped on the court. 

“He’s cleared for full go, so everything we did was full 100 percent he was going,” Cooper said. “There was no holding him back. There was no pulling back, it was just letting him go and letting him experience playing all out. He did that, and he looked really good doing it… I think he made his first 18 shots.”

Thompson, of course, has been out since Game 6 of the 2019 Finals, when he tore his ACL in the Warriors’ season-ending loss to the Toronto Raptors. Shortly before the start of last season, he then tore his Achilles tendon during a workout. Now, after two seasons and two-plus calendar years, Thompson is finally about to play again. 

When he does get back on the court, he’ll join a Warriors team that once again looks like a title favorite. They’re off to a league-best 18-2 start, and boast a plus-13.6 net rating that is also the best in the league.