Draymond Green will be available for selection when the Golden State Warriors face the Sacramento Kings in the final in-season tournament game. Green has finished his five-game suspension for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
When speaking to the media on Friday (Nov. 24) following the Warriors’ in-season tournament win against the San Antonio Spurs, Stephen Curry discussed the team’s excitement at having the veteran forward back in the rotation. Curry also noted how Green is looking forward to returning to the court.
“The nine-game stretch we’re in right now has not been great,” Curry said. “I know Draymond is excited to be back. We’re excited to have him. We need him…Draymond being back helps a lot. Not just because of what he does defensively, but because of the way he communicates, but it won’t solve everything. Especially going into Sacramento, we know how their offense is.”
Green’s return will certainly help the Warriors’ defense become more fluid and robust. The veteran forward is an elite defensive presence and communicator and should be a significant boost to how Steve Kerr‘s team organizes itself on both sides of the court.
The upcoming game against the Kings will have some additional juice to it, as the winner could potentially win the “West Group C” and progress onto the knockout stages of the in-season tournament.
Golden State currently sits third with two wins and a loss, while the Kings are top of the group with three straight victories.