Stephen A. Smith says he’s worried about the injury status of Draymond Green: “They win no title without Draymond Green”
The Golden State Warriors have had to play their last 26 games without their pillar Draymond Green. The 2017 Defensive Player of the Year last featured for the Warriors in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 9. However, he only appeared for seven seconds in honor of Klay Thompson's return to the court since 2019.
He was initially diagnosed with a calf injury, but on Jan. 16, the Warriors announced that all indications suggest that his calf injury is tied to a disc on his lower back. This has seen him sidelined for two months and will be due for evaluation in three weeks.
Since his absence, the Warriors have suffered more losses than they had with him on the court. In the 34 games played, he led them to 28 victories, only losing six times, but with a total of 29 games without The Dancing Bear, they sustained 14 defeats.
With the Warriors losing their last three outings, fans are worried about what the season holds for the franchise. So is Stephen A., who took to his show First Take on ESPN to react to the poor state the Warriors are in. He voiced his concern about the continued absence of Draymond Green, stating that the Warriors are incapable of winning the title without Day-Day.
"I'm getting very nervous. But it's not because of the losses. I'm getting nervous because where the hell is Draymond Green? I saw him NBA All-Star weekend, we spoke for a little bit. He's feeling good, coming along etcetera etcetera."
"I expect back soon, but I don't see him yet. They don't win no title without Draymond Green. They need him. When he's on the court with the rest of these crew, they're one of the top two defenses in all of basketball. He's the ultimate playmaker for Klay and Steph."
The Golden State Warriors suffered two defeats to the Dallas Mavericks in the space of 5 days as they anticipate the return of Draymond Green
After the All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors resumed the regular season with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. But have since suffered consecutive losses in every game played thereafter.
After the game against the Blazers, the Warriors hosted the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center and were handed their second defeat in three head-to-head games. The loss was closely followed by another loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 1. The Warriors made their way to Dallas, Texas last night to take on the Mavericks after being dealt a blow three days before.
Join us in wishing @Money23Green of the @warriors a HAPPY 32nd BIRTHDAY! #NBABDAY https://t.co/NfQ2d3a4Z2
The Mavericks gained the advantage over the Warriors again, winning by an even bigger difference than they did days back. The team could do with Draymond Green on defense and his playmaking skills on offense. But he will continue to be out of the picture for another three weeks.