Draymond Green told reporters he’s confident he will return to the court for Monday night’s clash with the Atlanta Hawks, after sitting out Saturday against the Timberwolves with an injured ankle. Green is technically listed as questionable, but gave indications he will play on Monday.
“It feels good,” Green said. “Still a little tender. Everything is going to be based on how I feel. But I’m pretty confident.”
Green rolled the ankle when he inadvertently stepped on a befallen Ian Clark in Friday’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Sine the Warriors’ East Coast road trip two weeks ago, Green has been a beast on both ends of the court, and has looked far more like the player that started in the All-Star game last year than he did earlier in the season.
In fact, one of Green’s best games of the season last year came against these very Hawks, when Stephen Curry was himself sidelined with a sore left ankle. Green lead the Warriors in their 109-105 overtime victory on March 1, putting up 15 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists. He also lead the Golden State defense, adding four steals and this key block and save of Tim Haradaway Jr.’s shot late in the fourth quarter.
Green capped things off with his signature moment of 2015-16, and kept the Warriors’ hopes of a 73-win season alive, when he hit a shot clock buzzer-beating three-pointer with 40 seconds remaining to put Golden State up by four.
It would be a tall order to expect Green to repeat his heroics assuming he returns tonight, and with a healthy Steph and Kevin Durant now in the fold, it’s unlikely he’ll need to.
After what Green did to the Hawks last season, however, you better believe he’s chomping at the bit to make his return.