9:11 pm ET
Kendra AndrewsESPN
DENVER — Draymond Green has targeted March 14 as his return date due to a lower back injury that has kept him out of action since early January.
“Next Monday the 14th against the Wizards. This is the date I’m aiming for,” Green said on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show. “I’m fucking excited. It’s been two and a half months, almost… I’ve never missed so much time during a season… it’s something different for me. I am very happy to be back there with my guys, try it right on this ship.”
Green last played a full game on 5 January. He started the Warriors’ game against the Cavaliers on January 9 in honor of Clay Thompson’s return, but pulled out just seconds after being cautioned. He missed the next 25 games, and Golden State went 13-12 games in his absence. By the 14th, he will miss 29 games.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Green could be back in the next 7 to 10 days. Several members of the Warriors organization have told ESPN that Green’s return is looming, with Golden State coach Steve Kerr expressing “optimism” for the former Defensive Player of the Year’s return soon.
“He’s done really well with his rehab,” Kerr said ahead of Golden State’s game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. “Today I received a report that he had another rehab session on the court. And he spent about a week, a week and a half on the court, got a lot of injections, fought. So he feels very good. better and go.
On March 14, the Warriors will host the Wizards at the Chase Center in San Francisco.