NBA: Does Klay Thompson's return make Golden State Warriors NBA favourites again?

When the Golden State Warriors won the 2014-15 NBA championship, a first in 40 years, a dynasty was born.

The trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, swept everyone off their feet as they saw off Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2.

The Warriors were close to defending their title in 2016 after adding Kevin Durant to their roster but lost 4-3 in the finals to Cleveland, led by the mercurial LeBron James who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. GSW were not going to be denied again and took the championship in 2017 and 2018 by defeating the Cavs again. The San Francisco team made it to their fifth-straight NBA final in 2019 but lost 4-2 to Toronto Raptors. 

The 2019-20 season was a low point for the Warriors as they lost Thompson to an anterior cruciate ligament injury which kept him out for the rest of the season. Thompson's presence in the GSW team is undeniable as he is a formidable force with Curry, the duo known as the "Splash Brothers" for their consistency at shooting three-pointers. Curry also fractured his hand which needed surgery and kept him out for three months. The Warriors ended that season last in the Western Conference.

Thompson was still not ready for the 2021-22 season as he suffered a torn achilles tendon while recovering. Again, GSW failed to make it into the playoffs, finishing ninth in the Western Conference.

They however started the 2021-22 very strongly, winning 18 of their first 21 games between October and November 2021. The Warriors fans and the NBA as a whole were beyond ecstatic when Thompson finally made his return to the court after almost 31 months (941 days) in a home game against familiar foes Cleveland on January 9, which they won 96-82, Thompson contributing 17 points. 

Since then, Thompson has played six more games. The 31-year-old has averaged 22 minutes per game, 14.7 points, 2.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds. Not bad for a player that missed a staggering 177 matches.

Overall, Golden State have a 35-13 W-L record this season which sees them sit in second place in the Western Conference standings, just behind last season's NBA finals runners-up, Phoenix Suns.

Now that Thompson is back, can the Warriors finally dream of winning the NBA championship again?

In Klay's absence, it was an evident struggle as they could not make the playoffs. His presence will undoubtedly bring a fresh wave of confidence and swagger that will give them the ability to be dominant like the good old times. 

The basketball world was anxiously waiting for Thompson's return and it highlights how revered he still is to the Warriors and the NBA. 

"I will never forget the reception that Warriors fans gave us, especially myself," Thompson said after his long-awaited return. 

"Gosh it was fun and it was worth every single day of being away and in that squat rack or on that shuttle board and all the conditioning days. It was worth every single moment.”

It was really a long wait and should he put those injury worries behind him and stay fit moving forward, GSW will no doubt be favourites for the championship. According to the bookies, Steve Kerr's side are favourites to finish top in the West Conference ahead of the Suns while they are second favourites to win the championship after the Brooklyn Nets. If their form improves by leapfrogging the Suns and winning the West Conference, it will be all about the Golden State heading into the playoffs without a doubt. 

There is a bit of a setback for GSW at the moment as they have Green currently out with a back injury. Green forms the dynamic trio that includes Curry and Thompson as pointed out earlier. All three were present during five final appearances between 2015 and 2019 that led to three titles, and will be needed for a first in four years. There is no specific time as to when Green will return. He has missed 10 games and will be needed back badly, especially for his defensive contributions as GSW have lost three of their last four away games.

The Warriors will face stiff competition if they enter the playoffs. There are the likes of Suns, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, to contend with. However, with Thompson back, Curry hitting those three pointers consistently and Green on the defensive, it will make a whole lot of difference in the race and no one would argue who the deserving team will be at the end of the season.