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Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson was a glaring omission from the roster ahead of the game against the Orlando Magic. With Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offering an update on the matter, the Warriors can rest easy when considering the sharpshooter's health.
The Warriors have faced a lot of struggles with injury this season. While their issues with playing on the road have already resulted in several losses, the Dubs have shown signs of vulnerability at home as well.
The recent stretch of home games had started off on a solid note. Playing without their superstar Stephen Curry, the Warriors saw solid performances across the board to secure wins. Klay Thompson, in particular, has been terrific in these outings.
With Thompson at the top of his game, the Warriors were on a roll. Unfortunately, the last few games haven't been as kind for the Dubs. Following a devastating loss to the Detroit Pistons on the back of a buzzer-beater, Golden State came up short once again. This time against the Orlando Magic.
Although the game against the Magic saw the long-awaited return of Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors had a glaring omission from their lineup. Thompson was kept out of the game as a last-minute decision.
There were reportedly some concerns regarding the condition of Thompson's knee. When asked about this, Kerr said:
"It got sore during warmups. The training staff looked at him and for precautionary reasons kept him out of the game."
Kerr mentioned that there was no real concern involved with the soreness and that there may not be a need for testing as it was purely precautionary. This appears to be great news for the shorthanded Warriors as they have enough valuable players sidelined.
However, with a loss on the back of Klay Thompson's absence from the game, the Golden State Warriors will need to make significant adjustments to stop the bleeding.
The Golden State Warriors will need Klay Thompson back soon
Klay Thompson's absence in Saturday night's game had a massive impact on the Golden State Warriors' output. Coming up short against the Orlando Magic, it is evident that the Warriors will need Klay back sooner rather than later.
In the game against the Magic, the Warriors struggled to get their offense going. While there was some upside with Andrew Wiggins making his return from injury, the forward had a rough night as he only notched 12 points.
The Warriors' scoring effort was led by Anthony Lamb, who notched 26 points on the night. Jordan Poole contributed 21 points as well.
While the offense wasn't necessarily disappointing, Golden State were less than effective on the defensive side. Orlando's duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner ran freely as they combined for 49 points. Additionally, with the team shooting over 50% from the field, Golden State were practically a sieve.
Klay's absence was certainly felt. Considering the form he's been in as of late, the Warriors could have benefitted from an additional gunslinger. However, with the injury not being a concern, the Dubs should see their star back in action soon.
Read: Shams Charania believes Klay Thompson gets “overlooked” as one of the best shooters ever
With Steph Curry also on the path to recovery, there appears to be some hope on the horizon to turn things around. However, having conceded two losses in a row, the Warriors are far from being in a favorable position.
