Draymond Green is back... or will be soon.
The NBA has reinstated Draymond Green after what turned out to be a 12-game suspension. He is expected to be around the team starting Sunday but will need about a week to ramp up before taking the court, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Here is what the NBA said about Green’s return in its announcement that he’s been reinstated.
During the period of his suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in him missing 12 games, Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players. He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.
The Warriors went 7-5 over those dozen games thanks to a top-10 offense in the league over that stretch. However, it’s been clear how much the Warriors miss Green’s defense (23rd in the league for those 12 games) and his secondary passing and shot creation on offense. The struggles of Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson on the offensive end this season, and not having Green’s passing, nor his pick-and-roll chemistry with Stephen Curry, showed in some of the Warriors’ recent losses.
In total, the suspension cost Green almost $1.9 million in salary.
Green was suspended after a blow to the head of Sun’s center Jusuf Nurkic.
Draymond Green was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected after this play
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 13, 2023
📺: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/jClS7iHzQr
This suspension had been “indefinite” because it was his second of the season. Green was suspended five games for putting the Timberwolves Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during an altercation. That didn’t seem to faze Green, who was nonapologetic after the Gobert incident and continued to play like he was “on tilt” all season (he has had three ejections). With the Nurkic incident, the league came down harder, but talked about wanting him to seek counseling and get control of his anger.
Green will undoubtedly say all the right things before he retakes the court, but actions will speak louder than words. The Warriors are 17-18 on the season and need Green in action and close to his peak self if they are going to make any kind of run up the Western Conference standings, where they are currently 10th.
