"As you might expect, even talking a little trash" - Steve Kerr gives the latest on Draymond Green's return, calls him one of the "all-time greats" when it comes to trash-talking
Golden State Warriors fans can expect Draymond Green to return soon. The Dubs forward, who injured himself in early-January 2022, has missed the last 23 games for Golden State. The good news, though, is that Green has started practicing with the Warriors and an imminent return seems entirely plausible.
With the Warriors traveling to Dallas for their next game against the Mavericks, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr provided the crucial update on Green's recovery and return. Speaking on the Damon and Ratto podcast, Kerr said about Green:
"Well, he played three-on-three today at our practice in Dallas. [He] played with Klay [Thompson], James Wiseman, Juan [Toscano-Anderson], Chris Chiozza, Moses Moody. So, we had a really good three-on-three workout. Draymond looked great. Moving really well. Healthy. Confident."
Kerr also added a little humor to his remarks when he commented about one of Draymond Green's most important skills. He said:
"As you might expect, even talking a little trash... We miss that trash talking. We miss that bravado. It was great to have him in the gym. It was great to see him looking so good. Everything is going really well rehab wise. We expect him back for sure in the coming weeks.”
Steve Kerr said Draymond Green looked great during a 3-on-3 scrimmage at practice today 👏 https://t.co/5gvKdlNWmu
Kerr went on to compliment Green for his trash-talking skills, calling him one of the "all-time greats" in that department.
Steve Kerr said Draymond Green is one of the "all-time greats" when it comes to trash talking.
(via @DamonAndRatto)
Golden State Warriors struggling defensively without Draymond Green
For the first 39 games of the season, the Golden State Warriors had a league-best defensive rating of 101.9. Much of this was due to Draymond Green's presence on the floor and the four-time All-Star was the front-runner to pick up his second Defensive Player of the Year honor.
But ever since Green's injury, the Dubs have regressed to a defensive rating of 109.9 in their last 23 contests. The Warriors are still the NBA's number one team defensively overall for the entire season, but they are clearly leaking points in Green's absence.
Kerr spoke about this weakened aspect of Golden State's defense on the Damon and Ratto podcast. He said:
“There’s a lot more room to attack the rim without Draymond. Draymond’s one of the best rim protectors in the league… that’s been an issue for us for sure.”
Steve Kerr: “There’s a lot more room to attack the rim without Draymond. Draymond’s one of the best rim protectors in the league… that’s been an issue for us for sure.”
(via @DamonAndRatto)
The good news, though, is that Draymond Green's return, hopefully before the end of the regular season, should help the Golden State Warriors bolster their defense once again and set them off on a long playoff run.