The long-anticipated return to play for Klay Thompson has been hard to pinpoint. While it seems that Thompson is actually ready to go, the Warriors have been conservative with returning him to play. Because of how good the team has been to kick off the season, they can afford a little extra time for the conditioning to get him back into full form.

Insider for The Athletic and perennial Woj rival Shams Charania went on KNBR with Marcus Thompson and Kerry Crowley earlier this week, and reported that, while there’s no solid set date for his return, it would make a lot of sense if Klay were to make his debut 2 years after his last game on January 9th.

“That January 9th game against the Cavaliers at home after a quick two-game road trip, that’s a game that makes a lot of sense” Charania said during the interview.

According to Charania, Thompson could have been back before Christmas, but as mentioned earlier, the Warriors wanted to ensure they could run him for longer stretches at a time in scrimmages because it would be more realistic to his actual rotation minutes.

The 9th is, as mentioned, a home game sandwiched between short and medium-length road trips. Since the team can afford to take their time with his return, it’d only be right that Thompson makes his debut at the Chase Center. The home crowd for one of the Bay’s most beloved athletes would be nothing short of perfect, especially against a team with an old rivalry.

Injury insider for 95.7 “The Game”, and Warriors superfan Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D., responded to the report from Shams as well, offering his certified expertise in the field of sports medicine to confirm the thought process behind the date:

The good doctor has been an excellent source of logical explanation surrounding reports on Thompson’s recovery, and as he’s saying here, it looks like Klay could be back to nearly his old self. That’s, of course, a high expectation to have and not something we need to push: If he’s even 70% of what he once was (and he already looks like more than that), he will be a major asset to push this team over the top.

Of course, a fully-healthy Klay Thompson would be ideal not just for the success of the Warriors, but for Klay himself. It’s clear how much he loves the game of basketball and he’s a straight-up dog. He’s competitive and he’s got that fire which drives him to be great. If he can return to that level, it’d be incredible for his mental. No matter the case though, everyone should be happy to see Klay Thompson back on the basketball court.

(Photo credit: Golden State Warriors)