Getty/Ezra Shaw Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors gets emotional against Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz in ORACLE arena in Oakland.
Warriors Draymond Green has been out for a while now. The former defensive player of the year has missed the last twenty Golden State games.
During his absence, he signed on to become a regular on the NBA on TNT. In a multi-year agreement, Green will make select appearances throughout the season. The New York Post had previously reported he was signed on as potentially the replacement of Charles Barkley. Barkley has previously said he plans to retire at the end of his contract in 2023-24.
With Green manning the sidelines all All-Star game, he was able to go thru a lot of topics with the Inside the NBA crew. One of the topics they went over had the curiosity of everyone in the league.
During the end of the game, Barkley directly asked Green when he was coming back.
“Dray, when you coming out of retirement? You been on the sideline getting a second paycheck for a minute now.”
Laughing in response, Green tells the crew his personal timeline of when he hopes to return to action.
“Hopefully, three to four weeks, that’s what I’m shooting for.”
sounds like Draymond Green is hoping to return to the Warriors in 3-4 weeks
That puts Green right around the mid to end of March target. If Green is accurate and he returns in that time frame, there would be about 10-14 games left in the regular season. Hopefully, enough time for him and his teammates to get back in sync.
Asking players about a timetable for a return from injury is always optimistic at best. When Green was asked to project a return date about two weeks ago, he mentioned that he was hopeful to get back on the court with the same phrase, “three to four weeks”.
Green Wants Everyone to Know ‘We Are Not a Like’
Another topic Green and the Inside the NBA crew went over briefly was Green’s beef with Gobert.
During the start of the second quarter, when Shaquille O’Neal was talking about defensive players, the Michigan State player cut O’Neal off and told him that Gobert and himself were not on the same level.
“You keep mentioning me in the same sentence with him. We’re not alike.”
Draymond Green sounds like he’s VERY done with any Rudy Gobert comparisons
“You keep mentioning me in the same sentence with him. We’re not alike…. We ain’t nothing alike”
The Dubs forward has always been critical of Gobert’s accolades, especially with three Defensive Player awards. Green has long pointed out how Gobert is only a one-dimensional defender, as an elite shot blocker. Moreover, Green has highlighted how he himself has the ability to defend in all facets, whether it be rim protecting, covering wings on the perimeter, or preventing successful post-ups.
Case in point when the Clippers eliminated the Jazz without Kawhi Leonard last year in the playoffs, Green posted this tweet soon after, directly pointing out that Gobert was not the elite defender people thought.
Earlier this month on TNT, Green threw more shade at Gobert when he teased Gobert for crying during a press conference.
“I mean, the man cried on national television when he didn’t make the All-Star team. Thank God he’s made the next three.”
Green’s lack of respect towards the Frenchman is entertainment for fans, and many Golden State fans cannot wait to see when’s the next time their defensive star roasts the Utah center. We may not know exactly when Green will return, but we know for sure that this is not the end of the Gobert slander.