5 reasons why Klay Thompson's return won't be enough to elevate Golden State Warriors as a championship-worthy team in the 2021-22 NBA season

#3 Klay Thomspon will not be able to keep up with the pace of the game

Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors

The number of games Klay Thompson has missed will make it difficult for him to move up and down the court as quickly as he ought to. Although his style of play does not entirely depend on his athleticism, he will need to be dependable on both ends of the court.

The nature of his injury might make things a bit tricky, seeing as he will not need to exert much pressure on the foot right off the bat. Even as his minutes will be limited in the early days, keeping up with the pace of the game might be a tad difficult.

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#4 Other teams have stronger lineups

Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference

Klay Thompson's return will be an instant boost for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry will benefit the most as the scoring load will be lessened. The long-awaited reunion of the Splash Brothers will undoubtedly help the Warriors put more points on the score sheet.

Regardless, other teams have restructured their squad and acquired the needed firepower to contend for the championship. The LA Lakers will be their most feared opponent in the Western Conference.

Rob Pelinka went all out in the 2021 offseason to bring in players who can produce with or without LeBron James on the court.

The Lakers updated roster 😳▪️ LeBron James ▪️ Anthony Davis ▪️ Russell Westbrook ▪️ Carmelo Anthony ▪️ Dwight Howard ▪️ Marc Gasol▪️ Malik Monk ▪️ Kendrick Nunn▪️ Trevor Ariza▪️ Kent Bazemore ▪️ Wayne Ellington▪️ THT▪️ Rajon Rondo▪️ DeAndre Jordan

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) September 3, 2021

In NBA history, the 2021 Lakers team has the most All-Star selections with 60. Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo are some of the All-Stars that were acquired in the offseason.

Down East, Klay Thompson and the Warriors will have to contend with the Brooklyn Nets, assuming both teams reach the NBA Finals. The firepower of the Nets team is the most lethal in the league, which will undoubtedly be a problem for every team in the NBA.

So, even with Klay Thompson's return, clinching the 2022 NBA championship is still a tall task.

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#5 It will take some time to rebuild chemistry

Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors

The Warriors developed an incredible bond and played as a unit during their dominant run from 2015-2019. Even with a few additions from time to time, the core of the team remained.

“Elite, all-time defender.”👏 @andre pic.twitter.com/D5xQ98Cv2r

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 17, 2019

In an attempt to recreate that synergy, the Warriors have acquired Andre Iguodala, who was pivotal in the Warriors 2015 championship. While that will improve the team's chemistry, Klay Thompson will need more time to reacclimatize himself with his teammates.