Draymond Green Is Targeting March 14 For His Return From A Back Injury

Draymond Green last appeared in a game for the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 5 and, at that point in the season, the Warriors were 29-8 and flying high. While Golden State is still in a strong overall position, the Warriors are just 14-13 since Green exited with a back injury and, simply put, they are not a dominant force without him, particularly on the defensive end.

On Monday, however, the Warriors received some very encouraging news when Green took it upon himself to deliver a specific injury update. In particular, Green revealed that he is “targeting” a March 14 return against the Washington Wizards at home.

“That is the date that I am targeting,” Green said of March 14. “I’m excited as hell. It’s been two and a half months almost… I’ve never missed that much time during a season. I once had an ankle injury that kept me out for a very long time in high school, but it was the offseason. This is something different for me. I’m extremely excited to get back out there with my guys to try to help right the ship.”

It will be interesting to see what Green looks like when he returns, both because of how long he was sidelined and because of how important he is to the Warriors on both ends. His defensive impact is well-chronicled as one of the best in the league, but Green also unlocks Golden State’s offense as the team’s best passer and facilitator, and his partnership with Stephen Curry is dynamic to say the least.

With Green on the floor this season, the Warriors are out-scoring opponents by 9.8 points per 100 possessions. That is a title-contending baseline for any team, but Golden State hasn’t been dominant recently, and having Green at full strength is part of the team’s formula to potentially challenge for a championship in June.

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