Draymond Green announced on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, that he plans on returning to the court when the Warriors host the Wizards on March 14.
“Next Monday, the 14th, against the Wizards. That is the date I am targeting,” Green said, “I am excited as hell. It’s been two and a half months, almost — I have never missed that much time during the season — this is something different for me. I am extremely excited to get back out there with my guys to try right this ship.”
Sources say @Money23Green is targeting March 14 to make his return against the Wizards.
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 8, 2022
Sources are Draymond. pic.twitter.com/Ry2k2cN38S
Since Green last played a full game on January 5, the Warriors have gone 13-13. By the time he returns next Monday, the former Defensive Player of the Year will have missed 29 games this season.
While the Dubs dropped to third place in the West, the Warriors coaching staff said that Green is “the control center of everything we do.” Something Coach Steve Kerr agreed to while talking about the increased role Jordan Pool took on during Green’s absence.
“The change is not him playing off the bench; it’s that Draymond isn’t out there,” Kerr said. “Think about the first half of the season.– He was not really our backup point guard. He played with guys who handled the ball. He really focused on scoring and shooting. But with the injuries we’ve had, Jordan has had to take on playmaking duties, and there’s a much bigger responsibility.”
As recent as Sunday, League insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Green could return in the next 7-10 days. Kerr himself said he was “optimistic” that the Michigan State product could soon be back on the court.
“He’s done really well with his rehab,” Kerr said ahead of Golden State’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. “I got a report today that he got another rehab session in on the court. And he’s had about a week, a week and a half now of being on the court, getting a lot of shots ups, scrimmaging. So he’s feeling a lot better and is coming along.
