There’s an “expectation” that Draymond Green is not going to take the ground once more for the Warriors till at the very least early 2024, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned on Friday throughout an look on NBA Countdown (YouTube link). Whereas there isn’t a definitive timeline, Inexperienced would miss at the very least 9 video games if he doesn’t play till 2024. He was suspended by the league indefinitely after placing Suns middle Jusuf Nurkic within the face throughout a Dec. 12 matchup.
Inexperienced missed 5 video games earlier this season attributable to a suspension following an on-court incident with Rudy Gobert. Wojnarowski thinks that Inexperienced’s present absence could possibly be roughly double the quantity of video games he acquired for the Gobert altercation.
The Warriors are presently on a three-game shedding streak and have dropped 12 of their final 16. Due to their lackluster begin to the season and the lack of Inexperienced, Golden State might look to make additions by way of commerce. Wojnarowski mentioned a handful of decision-makers have already known as Warriors normal supervisor Mike Dunleavy Jr. previously few days. Whereas it’s unclear what Golden State’s actual plans are, Wojnarowski factors out that the crew is more likely to be open to strikes as they proceed to try to piece collectively a championship-caliber crew round Stephen Curry.
Wojnarowski envisions “tough choices” for Dunleavy and the Warriors as they method the deadline, with a number of veterans not producing to their requirements.
Inexperienced is averaging 9.7 factors, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 15 video games this season. The Warriors are 10-14 and presently sit at eleventh within the Western Convention.
We now have extra on Inexperienced:
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr mentioned the NBA’s indefinite suspension of Inexperienced “is smart,” according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, and that it permits Inexperienced to replicate and alter his method. “That is about somebody I consider in, somebody I’ve identified for a decade, somebody who I really like for his loyalty, his dedication, his ardour, his love for his teammates, buddies, his household. Making an attempt to assist that man,” Kerr mentioned. “As a result of the one who grabbed Rudy, choked Rudy, the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan [Poole] final 12 months, that’s the man who has to alter and he is aware of that.“
- The Warriors made it clear they’re nonetheless supporting Inexperienced within the wake of the suspension. Sportsnaut’s Mark Medina explores why, writing that he believes it’s simpler for the Warriors to strengthen an current, if awkward, relationship versus ending it early. Medina writes that Inexperienced continues to be enjoying at a excessive degree and the franchise wants to ensure they’re serving to him take care of no matter he’s going by, although Inexperienced must do higher. “Championships are at stake by way of us being a contender, a sensible contender and even simply us being a superb crew,” Curry mentioned. “He’s part of that.“
- For his half, Inexperienced has accepted this suspension and apologized to Nurkic after the altercation. It isn’t the primary time this season Inexperienced’s needed to replicate on an on-court incident, and according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Inexperienced spoke to Curry following the incident with Gobert. In response to Shelburne, Inexperienced mentioned he misplaced his sense of time and place in that combat. “Once I watched it again, I mentioned, ‘Rattling, I held [Gobert] for much longer than I spotted in that second,’” Inexperienced mentioned. “However the actuality is, in these moments, you don’t know what time is. You don’t have a way of time.“