“I feel really good, I’m making a lot of good progress” - Draymond Green gives an update on his injury, says he’s taking it week by week
Draymond Green has been sidelined with a back injury since January 9th, during a game against the Cavaliers in which he only played seven minutes. Although the Golden State Warriors All-Star is hoping to make his return to the court soon, he is just still unsure when exactly that will be.
Green will obviously not be participating in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game due to his injury, but the Warriors forward did decide to attend the festivities in Cleveland. Green even took to fielding a few questions during the All-Star Media Day. When asked about his injury and recovery progress, Green responded by saying he feels really good and is taking "it week by week."
“I feel really good, I’m making a lot of good progress. I am just kind of building back…No, I don’t really have an exact date. I am just kind of taking it week by week and just going on as I progress. I really started to ramp my workouts up more and more.”
"I feel really good. I'm making a lot of good progress."
Draymond Green provided an update on his calf/back injury at All-Star media day in Cleveland https://t.co/Nfb3XsL6T9
Back injuries can be tricky for an athlete, and more so for someone who plays as physically as Green does. The good news has been that he has not needed surgery for this particular injury. But having him out of the rotation for the Warriors has hurt the overall chemistry and structure of the team.
With Green not giving too much information away on his recovery, it is tough to speculate how long he could be out for. He could miss up until right before the playoffs or be back next month to close out the season.
How important is Draymond Green to the Warriors?
Outside of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green might be the most crucial Warrior on this year's roster, and over the last 10 years, the only other play that could come close is Kevin Durant. Green is such a massive part of what the Warriors do on both ends of the court that having him out for this long has definitely had an effect.
The Warriors went 3-5 through an eight-game stretch when Green got hurt, and it looked like his injury might prove to be a big issue. Fortunately, Golden State went on to win their next nine games, with Curry averaging 22.4 points and 8.1 assists.
Draymond Green (lower back) has made progress and is expected to make a return 'at some point' after the All-Star break https://t.co/me0fSZ4cGT
The thing that makes Green so crucial to the Warriors team is that he often plays as the primary facilitator, averaging 7.4 assists per game this season. Curry has to take on more of that role with him out, which took some adjustments but has put the Warriors back on the right track.
On defense, is where Green’s absence is probably felt the most. Green has posted a 100.9 defensive rating per 100 possessions this season, which would be the best in the NBA if he met the minimum game requirements. Even though the Warriors still have the lowest defensive rating in the league at 104.8, Green would probably be able to get that figure even lower if he was available to play.
If the goal of this Warriors team is to win an NBA Finals, they will need Draymond Green healthy. They are a good team without him, but to be champions, one would imagine that they need him on the floor.