Klay Thompson will not play in the preseason for Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are set to begin their journey toward repeating as NBA champions.

A key part of that effort will need All-Star guard Klay Thompson to be a significant piece of the puzzle. That has led head coach Steve Kerr to decide to keep Thompson out of preseason action while the team is in Japan.

“Just feel more comfortable giving him a little more of a ramp up,” Kerr said ahead of the Warriors’ 96-87 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday via ESPN. “He’s just not quite ready to play at this point just based on where, you know, we’re so early in camp. We just want to be safe and make sure he gets a good ramp-up before he plays in games.”

The Warriors are taking the long-term approach, as Thompson will have plenty of time to get on-court action ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season. He will get some preseason playing time, but the extra time may be wise to keep his body fresh and ready to roll.

Thompson has showcased that he can play significant minutes and participated in back-to-back sets. However, he has undergone two major surgeries that have underlined the importance of not pushing him physically when it’s not necessary.

He will be on the floor when it matters most, and missing some preseason games isn’t going to do much to his rhythm or preparation for the upcoming regular season. In other words, Kerr’s decision is more par for the course for what’s expected.