The defensive star is on track to return after a two-game absence.
Good news came the Golden State Warriors way on Monday. An MRI on Draymond Green’s right knee, which was contused in a recent game, came back clean, paving the way for a return in the near future for the four-time All-Star.
Kerr says Draymond got an MRI and it came back clear. Draymond practiced today. “We’ll see for tomorrow,” Kerr said as to whether Draymond plays versus the Blazers.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) February 27, 2023
Just a few hours after the Warriors announced the outcome of the MRI, they upgraded his status to “Probable” for Tuesday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Draymond Green has been upgraded to probable for the Warriors’ game tomorrow against the Blazers. Missed the last two games with a right knee contusion. Andrew Wiggins remains out.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 27, 2023
And with that, Dub Nation can let out a collective sigh of relief. There was minimal concern when Green was a late scratch on Friday night against the Houston Rockets due to a contusion suffered the day before against the Los Angeles Lakers. That happens. No biggie.
But after being held out of Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors announced that Green would undergo an MRI. Suddenly we went from missing a game due to bumping knees, to an MRI for a potential knee injury. If you panicked a little, it was justified.
No need to panic anymore. Green will likely return against Portland, and if he doesn’t, he’ll almost surely be in uniform on Thursday when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers. And playing against the Blazers sure would be nice, as the Warriors will need all the defensive help they can get to slow down Damian Lillard, who on Sunday became just the eighth player in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a game.
As for the Warriors other sidelined starters, nothing has changed. Steph Curry remains out, and will be re-evaluated later this week (on Wednesday, I think). Andrew Wiggins, who has been away from the team while dealing with an undisclosed family matter for two weeks now, remains away. Hold him and his family in your thoughts.