What Klay Thompson's return to the court means for Warriors bettors

It’s been 2.5 years since we last saw Klay Thompson in a Golden State Warriors uniform.

Kevin Durant was still playing in The Bay, Kawhi Leonard donned a Toronto Raptors jersey and Anthony Davis still repped the New Orleans Pelicans. A lot has changed since then, including two devastating injuries that have kept Thompson sidelined since the 2019 NBA Finals.

That long pause in between games is set to end this weekend. Thompson will make his season debut this Sunday evening at Chase Center when the Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers. The guard shared the news himself.

Aside from energizing an already-lively fanbase, Thompson’s return will unquestionably have an impact on the Warriors. But how will his reinsertion to the lineup change what Golden State has going?

First, we need to temper our expectations a bit with how long it could take Klay to be Klay again. Head coach Steve Kerr plans on limiting Thompson’s minutes initially and holding him out of back-to-backs. Still, even the slow ramp-up figures to cuts into the wing depth in Golden State.

Jordan Poole, enjoying the best season of his young career (17.5 points, 3.5 assists per night) could be the one whose minutes are impacted the most. But limiting the team’s third-leading scorer seems like a bad idea. Poole’s playing style is also an ideal fit for Golden State’s second unit, as proven by his performance off the bench last year. Furthermore, it could be a good time to ditch Poole’s Most Improved Player campaign (+3000 at Tipico Sportsbook) and take a swing at his +3000 Sixth Man of the Year odds if you feel as though he’s not entering the race too late.

No one will be more excited for Klay’s comeback than his splash brother Stephen Curry. Curry’s recent shooting struggles are well-documented— he’s making just 38.4 percent from the field over his last ten games and is only shooting 42.0 percent on the season. Even if rusty, Klay’s gravity and ability as a shooter will draw more respect from defenses, likely freeing up Steph for better opportunities. It could be the boost to his already-best +135 MVP odds that help separate him from the pack.

Golden State still holds the shortest odds to win the West (+240 odds at Tipico), despite the team quietly slipping from first to second place after losing three of their last five games. There’s no telling if or when Klay will round back into form but, at worst, he’s a floor raiser whose effectiveness on both ends of the court should loom large for this Warriors team. At best, well, you know who Klay is—he could be the piece that pushes Golden State over the top.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).