Warriors forward Draymond Green loves playing basketball, but he loves talking about it, too. And he’s got the gift of gab as few players in league history have. So it’s no surprise that Green had a front-row seat for this season’s NBA All-Star game, providing analysis for Turner Sports as he nursed a calf and back injury that’s seen him miss a month’s worth of games for Golden State.
But as Green provided insight into what he saw during the game — including Stephen Curry’s incredible 50-point MVP performance with an insane 16 made 3-pointers — Green revealed some news about his own basketball life. He said he’s “shooting for” a return to the court in 3-4 weeks.
That timetable has Green back in a Warriors uniform, obviously, in about a month’s time, conservatively speaking. The four-week mark from Sunday’s NBA All-Star game lands on March 20, when the Warriors play the Spurs at Chase Center. On March 22, Golden State starts a five-game road trip in Orlando against the Magic.
The Warriors could certainly use Green as soon as possible, and to have him back for that road trip would definitely be beneficial for coach Steve Kerr. But the real date to keep an eye on is the playoffs, which are slated to start on April 16, with rosters set by April 11.
According to Green’s timetable, he won’t have much time to prepare for the NBA’s star-studded postseason tournament. Frankly, Green’s injury puts the Warriors’ NBA title hopes in serious question. Even in a best-case scenario, he’ll have little time to reacclimate himself to the court, and that’s assuming he can return at all. His injury sounds kind of serious. Back injuries can be tricky (just as coach Kerr).
He’s proven resilient in return from injury over his career, however, and with Green’s off-the-charts basketball IQ, he can jump into the fray at a moment’s notice. But wow, 3-4 weeks is cutting it close. Ideally for the Warriors, Green can return in three weeks’ time, and the entire franchise — Curry included — can breathe a little easier as Golden State preps for a run to the NBA Finals.
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