On the day of the Golden State Warriors game against the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green would be returning to the court after not being listed on the injury report for Monday’s contest.
Green had been suspended indefinitely for throwing a punch at Phoenix Suns center Josef Nurkic during a game on Dec.12. He had been away from the team for 12 games before he was cleared to return to the team facility. Since then, he has had to get his in-game conditioning back to a certain level before he was cleared to play.
With the Warriors recording an 8-8 record in the games Green has missed since the incident, they will be glad to see him back on the court. In the 15 games Green has played in, he has averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 49% from the field and 43% on three-pointers.
However, despite Green’s return, the season appears to be lost. Many analysts have wondered how a team that won the NBA Championship two seasons ago can suddenly be out of playoff contention entering the midway point of the regular season. Different starting lineup adjustments have not worked in the way some thought and the younger players on the roster such as forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Moses Moody have voiced their displeasure with their playing time. This has led to speculation surrounding a potential trade involving some of the Warriors younger players for someone that can help the team compete for a championship in the immediate future.
Ultimately, there remains hope for the Warriors that Green can provide the needed spark for the team. With the Warriors having lost three out of their last four games, they will need to regain form as soon as possible to stay in contention for the playoffs. The game against the Grizzlies is the third of a four game road trip. Following the trip, the Warriors will have a five game homestand, three of which will be against teams currently in the playoff picture. Over the next few games, it will be clear how a Warriors team with Green fares against teams they could be competing against in the spring.
The Warriors currently have an 18-21 record which ranks twelfth in the Western Conference. They are 1.5 games out of a spot in the play-in tournament and five games behind the No. 6 Sacramento Kings for a playoff berth.
