NBA: Golden State Warriors' GM Adresses Klay Thompson's Health, Says Hiatus Derails Rehab Process

KEY POINTS

Klay Thompson's rehab is affected by the Coronavirus
Thompson is already ruled out for the season
Bob Myers describes Thompson's situation as "hard"

The journey to complete recovery was going smoothly for Klay Thompson until the Coronavirus crisis hit the NBA a week ago. Apart from the games, the scare has also caused all basketball activities, including his rehab sessions, to be suspended indefinitely.

Golden State Warriors General Manager Bob Myers affirmed that the hiatus has relatively impeded the progress of the five-time All-Star who suffered an ACL injury during last season’s Finals series against the Toronto Raptors.

“Yes, it’s (Thompson’s rehab) hard,” Bob Myers said per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Privately, by himself. Maybe with one of our trainers individually at his house. Even my own hip surgery recovery, anything you can do without interacting with somebody. If you don’t have your own gym (at your house), there’s not really anywhere to go. Most guys don’t have a basketball gym in their house. They might have a weight room.”

While Thompson looked good judging from clips that show him putting up shots with ease during individual practices, the Warriors have already set their record straight that he will not return this season. The 30-year-old sharpshooter signed a fresh deal to continue playing for the Bay Area last summer so the cautious approach in his recovery is anything but surprising.

Despite being the third option in a star-studded team in the previous years, Thompson remained a thorn on the side of every opposition on both ends. He averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from downtown in last year's regular-season as the Warriors clinched the top seed in the West with a 57-25 record.

He was tallying 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in the postseason round until Game 6 of the Championship series in the Oracle Arena where the unfortunate injury occurred.

The uncertainty surrounding the NBA has paralyzed the league in almost every field it has. And like Thompson, even the inactive ones have felt the negative impact that the pandemic has brought to the league. The suspension is just one-week-old today, but fans tag the indefinite break as “one of the longest times of their lives”, hoping that this harrowing situation gets better soon.