Dub Nation can breathe a sigh of relief.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed the media Monday at the team practice facility and said the MRI on Draymond Green’s right knee came back "clear." Green's status for Tuesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers has been moved up from questionable to probable.
"(He) practiced today," Kerr said. "Seems to be on the right track. But we'll see tomorrow."
When Kerr told reporters Sunday that Green suffered a “setback” and required image testing, it was easy to assume that the contusion had grown into something bigger. The news Monday is best-case scenario for the 32-year-old Green and the Warriors’ playoff hopes. Green has missed two contests with the injury so far. KRON4's Jason Dumas shared a clip of Green at Monday's practice.
Golden State is still going to be without Steph Curry for at least one more game, as he works back from a leg injury on Feb. 4. Steph was spotted working out individually after the team practice on Monday and is scheduled to be re-evaluated Wednesday.
Starting wing Andrew Wiggins remains out due to a family matter after missing the past four games, so Green’s return to the lineup would be very welcome on Tuesday.
Draymond remains an elite defender who’s on-court impact is hard to quantify. He remained very engaged on the bench during Sunday’s contest and was even chirping heatedly with an official at one point, as he sits with 15 technical fouls on the season, one away from a suspension.
Green has appeared in 53 of 61 games this season, as his 8.1 points per game is the highest his scoring has been since the 2017-18 season (11 ppg), along with 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists. But his greatest quality remains his ability to organize and direct the defense while pushing the team in transition on the other end.
After dealing with a back injury that sidelined him 30 games last season, Green has to be relieved knowing he likely won’t be out for an extended period. Golden State (31-30) has 21 games left in the regular season before the play-in tournament begins April 11 and playoffs begin April 15.
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