How good can the Golden State Warriors be once Klay Thompson returns?

By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

On Friday, Klay Thompson did an Instagram Live from his boat, assuring fans he'll be back soon. A few hours later, his teammates beat the hottest team in the league, snapping the Phoenix Suns' 18-game winning streak 118-96 to claim the best record in the NBA at 19-3. 

It makes you wonder: How good is this team going to be?

"When am I going to be back?" Thompson asked as he turned the steering wheel of his boat under a cloudy sky. "Hopefully within the next few weeks. Man, that would be really nice. Maybe a month. I don't know. It's hard to gauge."

The prospect is dizzying. 

The Warriors appear to be every bit as good as they were during their stunning run in which they reached the NBA Finals five straight years from 2015 to ‘19, winning three championships. After missing the playoffs the past two seasons following Kevin Durant’s jumping ship to Brooklyn in free agency and Thompson's suffering ACL and Achilles injuries, they've clawed their way back to the top. 

The Warriors are first in the league in net rating (13) and defense rating (99.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), and they have the second-best offense (112.6 points scored per 100 possessions).

Soon, one of the best shooters in the world will once again be on their active roster. Thompson was last seen on the court delivering a 30-point performance in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals before he suffered one of the most dreaded injuries in the sport. 

After being robbed of two years of his prime, Thompson is inching closer and closer to his comeback. He recently made a game-winning 3-pointer during a scrimmage with the Warriors' G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Before Friday's game, a photo of him shooting around in full uniform went viral. He's in the final stretch of building his stamina. 

But Warriors coach Steve Kerr cautioned that this is when things get tricky. 

"Where he is now as compared to his first scrimmage a couple of weeks ago when we were on the road, it's pretty dramatic," Kerr said. "But the improvement will be more gradual now as he continues to get stronger and more conditioned. But these last few weeks will probably be tougher for him in a lot of ways, mentally and physically, just because maybe the improvement won't be that dramatic."

Thompson is so close to playing, it hurts. A week ago, after a double-digit win over Portland, he sat on the bench for more than 30 minutes with a towel draped over his head as his teammates and members of the coaching staff took turns sitting with him.

Friday, however, was a good day. 

During his IG Live, Thompson danced and sang along to "Do U Wanna Roll." He wore a Seattle Supersonics T-shirt and shouted, "Bring back our Sonics, damnit." After a commenter told him he had a booger, he grabbed a towel and exaggeratedly wiped his face. He marveled at the beauty of the Bay Area. He told rookie Jonathan Kuminga to stop watching his video and "get into the gym."

But despite his joy, his mind drifted to his pain. 

"Big game tonight," he said. "Wish I could ball tonight. But extenuating circumstances."

His teammates took care of business, avenging a 104-96 loss to the Suns on Tuesday. Stephen Curry had a team-high 23 points, including going 6-for-11 from beyond the arc, following a 12-point performance on 19% shooting three days earlier. Draymond Green was a defensive wizard, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds, nine assists and a stunning six steals. Gary Payton II and Juan Toscano-Anderson combined for 36 points on 14-for-17 shooting. 

This was one of the biggest games of the young NBA season, but not much could be gleaned from it in terms of future implications. Not without Thompson on the court — not to mention Andre Iguodala (right knee soreness) and James Wiseman (meniscus tear). The Suns were also missing one of their superstars in Devin Booker, who suffered a left hamstring strain in the second quarter Tuesday. 

But Monty Williams, who led the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years last season, was very clear about where he thinks the Warriors rank this season. 

"We arguably played the best team in the league tonight," Williams said. "Them or us."

The Warriors are in top form again, and we haven't even seen their full potential. 

Thompson is a five-time All-Star. Kerr regularly referred to him as a machine and a metronome because he was so consistent and dogged in his approach. The question is when he comes back to the Warriors, what will he look like? And what will they look like? 

There are bound to be some growing pains. Thompson has been out for so long. He's rejoining a team clicking on all cylinders. Everyone is going to have to relearn how to play together. 

But the Warriors are playing so well that Thompson has the luxury of easing himself back into the game, though Curry acknowledged that isn't exactly his style. 

"I know he wants to come back and be himself, but hopefully with as little pressure on him," Curry said. "Just to go out and play and have fun. And then for that last third of the season, really gear into our rotation, our confidence in who we're going to be in April, May and June."

It's exciting to imagine what the Warriors will look like when Thompson is fully integrated into the lineup. The top team in the league will take on a new dimension. 

That said, it's difficult to envision them looking much better than they do right now. But Curry, who has been closely monitoring his friend's progress, knows that's a real possibility, which is a thrilling prospect for a team once again trying to become a dynasty. 

And it's a daunting prospect for just about everyone else.

"Thank God he still remembers how to shoot the ball," Curry said with a smile.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.