NBA: Warriors’ Draymond Green expected to return vs Grizzlies

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Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green celebrates on the bench during the final minutes of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, Jan 12, 2024, in Chicago. The Warriors won 140-131. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Golden State star Draymond Green appeared poised to return from his NBA suspension on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies after the Warriors removed him from their injury report.

Green has missed 16 games since being suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a December 12 contest.

That incident came weeks after he was suspended five games for grabbing Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a headlock.

Green had missed 12 games before the NBA reinstated him, and since then he had appeared on the Warriors’ injury report as unavailable as he ramped up conditioning work.

On Sunday, Green was off the injury report as ESPN and other US media outlets reported he was targeting a return on Monday in Memphis.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had said Saturday that he thought Green would be ready for a return either in Memphis or against the Utah Jazz later in the week.

“He has been working out every day and I talked to him this morning,” Kerr told reporters on Saturday, when the Warriors fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. “He said he’s coming around and feeling good, so there’s a chance he could play in Memphis or in Utah.”

The Warriors have gone 8-8 without Green, whose presence has been particularly missed on the defensive end.

“He has an ability to communicate, get us into defensive sets and guard multiple positions and just be one of the greatest defenders that ever played,” teammate Klay Thompson said, adding that he expected Green to get back in the flow quickly.

“Should be easy for Draymond. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it,” Thompson said. “I don’t see it being too tough on him.”