SAN FRANCISCO -- Draymond Green’s first offensive possession couldn’t have been more poetic Monday night.
Steph Curry broke off a screen from Kevon Looney on the right wing and found some daylight, while Green held the ball in the low post before delivering a perfectly-timed shovel pass to Curry. Before the Wizards could even process what happened, Steph had splashed a triple.
"We can do that in our sleep," Curry said after the game.
About a minute later, Draymond assisted Curry on another 3-pointer. He’s back. In Green’s first game with the Warriors since Jan. 9, they rolled to a 126-112 win over the Washington Wizards.
“You definitely think about what we’ve been through, obviously what's to come," Green told reporters after the game. "To get back out there and share the court with those guys, you tend to look back on the journey and appreciate it before you get ahead of yourself and look forward to what’s next."
Steve Kerr said Green's impact was undeniable Monday night.
"Makes us a better team, makes me a better coach, makes our players better players, makes Bob a better GM and Joe a better owner," Kerr quipped.
There’s a universal sign for basketball players when they connect on a sweet play. As they run back in transition, they make eye contact and give each other a quick point of an index finger. Green was part of a lot of those index finger exchanges on Monday night.
Whether it was Steph or Klay or someone else, Green’s chemistry was undeniable. Limited to just 20 minutes on the evening, Green doled out six assists while scoring six points with seven rebounds and a +24 in plus/minus off the bench. Warriors coach Steve Kerr elected to start Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole on a night when Andrew Wiggins couldn’t play due to illness.
Green didn’t enter until there was 4:50 left in the Chase Center and made an instant impact. After his two assists to Steph he also knocked down a 3-pointer of his own and let out a mighty roar.
Green’s crafty assists are what the Warriors craved most, though. Check out some of the passes he dished out to set up his teammates.
"Draymond's an incredible passer," Thompson said. "He really threaded the needle on that one. I haven't felt that feeling in years, so that was really, really nice to feel that again."
After the game, Green didn't feel like discussing his comeback in the press conference room. He took one question before spending five minutes commending Warriors director of sports performance and medicine Rick Celebrini and leaving the dais to take questions from reporters in the hallway.
“To play with those guys again, it’s extremely special," Green said. "When you have the opportunity to take the court with one of them, it’s great, but you feel it when it’s not all three of us out there. It’s still a void, it’s still empty. That’s how I felt for the last two and a half years. To be out there together tonight, a special day. Steph’s birthday.”
Overall, the Warriors' offense seemed to have more flow while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point land. It didn't hurt that Curry dropped 47 points on his 34th birthday.
“We have a pretty unique group of stars,” Kerr said. “They really make each other better. They count on one another and they make each other better. They all help one another and they always have. That’s the beauty of our team. They play so well together and they know each other so well.”
The Wizards’ offense runs through Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma, but they’re more stretch players who don’t play with their back to the basket. We’ll have to stay tuned to see how Draymond will affect the defense when a bruiser is down low.
