Draymond Green – Golden State Warriors
The heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green has been out since January 9 with a calf injury that resulted in a nagging back injury for Green as well.
Knowing that they are back in championship contention this season, the Warriors have been very cautious with getting Draymond Green healthy and back on the court, which is why he has missed nearly two months of action.
Golden State has said that Green will be making his return to the court on Monday night against the Washington Wizards, but he will see a minutes restriction as the team looks to ease him back into playing without re-aggravating his back or calf injury.
Draymond Green’s return to the Warriors’ lineup is significant not only because he was the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year prior to his injury, but because of all the little things he does to make everyone else on this roster better.
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The Warriors are just 18-16 without Draymond Green this season compared to being 28-6 with him on the floor and Steph Curry is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of having Green on the floor.
Without Draymond Green, Steph Curry has to take on more of a facilitator role for the Warriors, resulting in his offensive production and shot selection decreasing.
Now, with Green healthy and on the floor, both Klay Thompson and Steph Curry will be able to run off screens with ease and not have to try and create plays for others, as Draymond Green will be the one creating scoring opportunities for them.
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Not to mention, Jordan Poole has been having a sensational, breakout third season in the league and has been one of the hottest shooters in the league as of late, as the young guard is shooting 57.1% from three-point range over his last six games.
With Draymond Green on the floor, the Warriors are much better defensively, as well as more open in terms of getting better shots offensively. The Warriors need Green healthy and on the floor in order to win a title and they are getting him back just in time for the last few weeks of the regular season.
