Warriors' Draymond Green to Return vs. Jazz After Missing 5 Games with Injury
The Golden State Warriors have been devastated by injuries this year but they will at least get Draymond Green back on the court Monday against the Utah Jazz, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.
The forward has missed the last five games due to a torn ligament in his finger but is set to return after getting close to full strength.
"It's improved," Green said of his finger Monday. "It's not all the way 100 percent. I'll be waiting 'til March for a finger to become 100 percent. So you just kind of get it to where you can tolerate it and move forward."
His return will be much-needed with the Warriors entering the day with just a 2-8 record, including 1-4 with Green on the sideline. This is a major change for an organization that won three NBA titles in the last five years, reaching the finals in each season during this stretch.
The squad has especially been bad defensively this year with 121.1 points allowed per game and a league-worst 117.0 defensive rating, per Basketball Reference.
Green was only averaging 9.4 points per game in five appearances before his finger injury, but he still contributes on the defensive end with 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. The 29-year-old has been first- or second-team All-Defense in each of the last five years while winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17, indicating he should have a major impact on that end of the floor.
He could also provide some veteran leadership for a team that has been relying heavily on rookies like Eric Paschall and Jordan Poole.
Klay Thompson has been out all season with a torn ACL and Stephen Curry will miss time with a broken hand, leaving few experienced players in the active rotation.
Though the Warriors will still be shorthanded without those superstars, bringing a three-time All-Star back into the mix should only help going forward.
