Draymond Green is targeting Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards for his return to the Golden State Warriors, he announced on “The Draymond Green Show.”
The forward has been out the last two months due to a back injury, having last played a full game on Jan. 5. His return couldn’t come soon enough for the Warriors, who have struggled without Green. They’re just 15-14 since his first missed game after going 29-8 in the games prior. They’re 10-17-2 against the spread in that time, according to Covers.
Once considered among the NBA’s best two teams, along with the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors aren’t even a top-two team in the Western Conference anymore. At 44-22, they’re a half game behind the Memphis Grizzlies for second place entering Wednesday.
However, they still hold the second-shortest odds behind the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA title at +425 on Tipico Sportsbook. Their odds to win the West are +185, not far from the Suns at +162.
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Green’s return adds confidence to Golden State’s ability to turn things around. His value has always been a little understated, but not since his Game 5 suspension in the 2016 NBA Finals has it been more obvious how much he means to what they want to do.
He’s the anchor of their defense – Golden State’s defensive rating has worsened by seven points since his absence. And he’s the conductor of their offense, which has been less efficient without the man who’s led them in assists since 2014.
In particular, Green’s vision and passing contributed to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson becoming the best shooting backcourt ever. With Green out, both are in the midst of career-worst shooting seasons as they have to create more offense for themselves.
Thompson’s struggles can partly be attributed to his extended absence the past two years and working his way back from injuries. But Curry has been in a months-long slump without Green, going from 39% in the games before his absence to 36% in the games since. Thompson, who hasn’t played with Green yet this season, is also shooting 36%.
Green’s return to the lineup won’t likely be seamless, but it will be the beginning of the Warriors getting back to their identity. And if they re-capture some of the magic they had before he went down, with Thompson now added into the mix, they’ll be dangerous again just in time for the playoffs.
