Four takeaways on Klay Thompson's play through his first eight games

All eyes have been on Klay Thompson since the Golden State Warriors star returned to the lineup on Jan. 9. It's not just that Thompson is a beloved member of the Warriors' three title teams, making his comeback game (aka "Klay Day") so important that Draymond Green started the game despite an injury that has sidelined him since.

The stakes involved also couldn't be higher. As Thompson tries to regain his form after the unprecedented back-to-back gut punch of tearing his Achilles just as his rehab from an ACL tear during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals was nearing its completion, he's doing it with a Golden State team that once again has a championship on its mind.

If Thompson can become the kind of two-way contributor he was leading up to his injuries, the Warriors will be that much more complete and dangerous of a contender after already establishing themselves as one of the NBA's top teams without him.

Now that we're eight games into Thompson's return, it's time to take a look at what we've seen from him so far, digging into the advanced stats with additional perspective from his teammates and coaches.

Watching Thompson play in the first three weeks of his comeback, it's been obvious something is different, and it's not just the headband he's now sporting. Thompson, famous for his ability to score maximum points on minimum time of possession, is now dribbling. A lot.

«I've had this in my bag,» Thompson said. «I've been able to put the ball on the floor since high school… it's just not my forte like shooting.»

Second Spectrum tracking numbers show something is different now. Thompson's 73 touches per 100 possessions are most in the camera-tracking era, which dates back to 2013-14, and his 1.4 dribbles per touch are his