After a second-round playoff exit against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors appeared primed to begin their 2023-24 season full of steam. With little to no injuries, and nothing in the way of off-court controversies to cause distraction, it was projecting as an ideal offseason for the franchise.
Yet on the brink of training camp, the Warriors have suffered a significant blow with veteran forward Draymond Green expected to miss the start of the season after sustaining an ankle injury.
Draymond Green’s ankle injury has put a dampener on an offseason that was otherwise appearing as ideal for the Golden State Warriors.
Green suffered the ankle sprain when he landed on Jonathan Kuminga’s foot during a recent workout, putting him out for training camp and Golden State’s preseason games which begins on October 7 against the Lakers.
Speaking to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Green believes he “dodged a bullet” in what could have been a more significant injury. The four-time All-Star expects to make a return to the floor in 4-to-6 weeks.
“I dodged a bullet and learned that today by the way it's (positively) reacting. Even with an MRI you don't see the trend of it immediately. The swelling is down,” Warriors forward @Money23Green tells @andscape about his sprained left ankle he expects to keep him out 4-6 weeks.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 30, 2023
That timespan will see the former Defensive Player of the Year miss the Warriors’ highly-anticipated opening night matchup against the Phoenix Suns on October 24. If the team is conservative and the return pushes out to the full six weeks, Green could miss up to the first 10 games.
Green’s absence will provide a challenge for Steve Kerr, most notably a decision on the starting lineup. The injury could make Chris Paul a guaranteed starter for opening night, but a strong preseason for Jonathan Kuminga could put his name into the discussion.
Golden State began last season with a 3-7 record through the opening 10 games, a mark they’ll be hoping to avenge though not helped with the disappointing news of Green’s injury.
After an injury-plagued 2021-22, Green was incredibly durable last season. He made 73 regular season appearances — the most since he played 76 games in 2016-17.