The Golden State Warriors have gone 6-5 since Draymond Green was given an indeifinite suspension. The four-time NBA champion was punished for punching Phoenix Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic, albeit allegedly unintentionally.
The Warriors had found their best rhythm without Green on the court, but they’ve kind of hit a brick wall again. They clearly miss his defense, playmaking, and savviness. However, they also need him to be in a good place mentally to make the most of his skills.
Fortunately for the team, it was just a matter of time before he’s back on the court. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, he’s ready to get back on the court with his team. It was always a part of his plan, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Green Continues To Work
“Green missed his 11th game when the Warriors faced the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, but his plan to rejoin the team to start working himself back into playing shape is the final step toward him restarting his season,“ Woj reported.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
The league had established a series of undisclosed conditions and criteria he had to meet before being reinstated. Nonetheless, Woj reports that he’s likely to have met all requirements by the time he’s physically ready to get back on the court.
“NBA commissioner Adam Silver has the final say on the reinstatement timeline, but it’s believed that Green will have satisfied the league’s requirements to return once he is deemed properly ramped up to play,” wrote Woj.
Green has reportedly been in constant talks with the league and the NBAP via Zoom, and he’s been quite engaged and willing to do better and work on his reported character issues:
”The Zoom meetings are playing a role in how the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and the Warriors have been meant to measure Green’s progress toward working through whatever issues might have contributed to repeated violent episodes with opponents and a former teammate,” continued Woj.
Draymond Green after being ejected.
Kerr Supports His Player
Coach Steve Kerr knows this cannot be treated as a regular injury, and he claims the team has given Green enough space to deal with whatever he’s going through at the moment:
“This was not a sprained ankle, this was not a twisted knee,” Kerr said. “This is an issue that Draymond is trying to get help with. So space was important for him and us. We’re trying to win games, and he’s trying to put himself in a position to come back. But we’ve been giving him his space, and he’s been giving us ours,”
Despite the mixed results, the Warriors have had Jonathan Kuminga starting in place for Green, and he’s shown that he’s finally ready to take a bigger role with the team:
“Jonathan Kuminga has been starting in Green’s spot. Kerr told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews that “there is a world where [Kuminga] can start for the rest of the year,” as long as the third-year forward continues to play well and the team wins,” Woj said.
see also
Stephen Curry discusses concerns about Warriors" dynasty
At the end of the day, it’ll be quite interesting to see how Kerr accommodates his lineup once Green is eligible to be back, but there’s no way to believe they’ve fared better without him.
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