A Golden State Warriors team in desperate need of a boost is about to get one — Draymond Green is expected to return to the court Monday.
Green has missed 16 games, the first dozen were his indefinite suspension for a blow to the head of Jusuf Nurkic, but he will be back on the court Monday against Memphis, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
After missing 16 games, Warriors star Draymond Green is expected to return vs. Grizzlies in Memphis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Q13vFRbJ85
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 14, 2024
The Warriors went 7-9 overall in those 16 games without Green and are 3-7 in their last 10 with the worst defense in the NBA over that stretch. Green will instantly help on that end as a communicator and quarterback of the defense, plus he can still defend multiple positions. Golden State can also use his passing and secondary playmaking in the pick-and-roll with Stephen Curry.
The Warriors, 18-21, sit 12th in the West 2.5 games behind the No. 10 seed and the final play-in spot.
This is a soft entry for Green, injuries have ravaged the Grizzlies and will be without Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, Derrick Rose, Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.