Draymond Green has been reinstated by the NBA following a 12-game suspension stemming from his altercation with teammate Jordan Poole earlier this season. Green was suspended on November 11th after a leaked video showed him punching Poole during a Warriors practice.
Green Considered Retirement During Suspension
In an appearance on “The Volume” podcast, Green revealed that he considered retiring from the NBA entirely during his suspension. However, a conversation with Commissioner Adam Silver convinced him not to walk away.
“He helped me see, through all of this, that there can be a lot of help for people beyond the game of basketball. And that maybe me staying involved within my communities and within the NBA players and within my organizations can help me continue on my mental health journey more than not being involved in it at all,” Green said.
Ultimately, Green credits Silver for encouraging him to continue his playing career:
“If Adam Silver hadn’t called me and spoke to me, I would have ended up retiring for sure,” he said.
Warriors Welcome Green Back After 12 Games
The Warriors went 6-6 during Green’s 12 game absence. Though there were some bumps, head coach Steve Kerr believes the defending champs handled adversity well.
“I’m proud of the group. I think we’ve battled without Draymond,” Kerr said. “I think Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins in particular, Klay, have all picked up the slack with Draymond being out.”
With Green back, Kerr hopes the Warriors will regain their defensive intensity from last season’s championship run. That intensity was clearly missing during Green’s suspension.
“We know that when he returns we’ll be back to being an excellent defensive team,” Kerr said. “We still have a lot of work to do to get to that point.”
| Stat | Pre-Suspension | During Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Rating | 106.7 (5th) | 111.8 (11th) |
| Opponent PPG | 107.3 (3rd) | 116.1 (20th) |
As the table shows, the Warriors defense has regressed in Green’s absence. His return should provide a boost on that end.
How Do Warriors Move Forward?
Bringing Green back into the mix won’t be seamless. His relationships with Jordan Poole and other teammates were clearly fractured by the altercation.
Green took responsibility and apologized to the team upon his return. But Steve Kerr made it clear there is still work to be done behind the scenes.
“There’s work to do in terms of conditioning and chemistry and all that,” Kerr said after Green rejoined the team. “That’s work that we have to do that never stops. Every year’s a little different.”
While Green described his relationship with Poole as “great” going forward, Poole declined to discuss Green when recently asked about the incident.
“We’re here to win a championship. All the other stuff is irrelevant,” Poole said.
The true test will come on the court when the Warriors are in high pressure situations. Will old habits emerge or have Green and Poole truly moved past their issues?
What’s Next?
Draymond Green is expected to make his return to game action on January 13th at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
Barring any setbacks, he should be ready to make an immediate two-way impact and help the Warriors climb the Western Conference standings. They currently sit 5th at 22-18 after losing 4 straight games.
With half the season remaining, there is still ample time for the defending champs to find their stride. And most around the NBA still consider them dangerous when healthy and focused.
But another misstep by Green could derail a Warriors team with some apparent locker room friction. For now, his veteran presence and defensive intensity are welcomed back with open arms.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
