Draymond Green Will Reportedly Have An MRI After Straining His Left Knee In The Opener


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The Warriors fell to the Rockets in a thrilling 122-121 loss on opening night in a surprising upset. Normally, a loss wouldn’t be a big deal to the Warriors, considering they’re the defending champs and the heavy favorites to repeat in 2017-18. However, the circumstances surrounding the loss raise some concerns moving forward, particularly with regards to their star center.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green left the game in the fourth quarter with a left knee strain and did not return. After the game, he told ESPN’s Chris Haynes he’s “fine,” which gave fans a reason to sleep a bit easier.


However, the Warriors plan on being cautious with Green and on Wednesday, Haynes reported he will undergo an MRI on that left knee to determine if there is anything more severe than the originally diagnosed strain.

Hopefully this is just a precautionary measure from the Warriors and won’t reveal any further damage to Green’s knee. Of all the players on Golden State’s roster, Green is the one they can least afford to lose to injury. Their backcourt and wing rotation is strong enough to pick up the pieces for a stretch should Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, or Klay Thompson go down. However, there is no one on the roster — or really in the NBA — that can do what Green does for this team on the defensive end.

That was evident down the stretch against Houston, as the Rockets outscored Golden State 34-20 in the fourth quarter, en route to the comeback victory. Early in the season, the Warriors could get by and continue winning at a strong clip without Green, but the focus will undoubtedly be on making sure any knee soreness or issues won’t linger on deep into the season or the playoffs. We’ll know more about Green’s status later, but we can hope for now that he’ll be cleared of any structural damage.

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