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Suspended Golden State Warriors Draymond Green is making progress toward an eventual return that could be as soon as January.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “there’s a general belief that his suspension will cover a range of 11 to 13 games — barring any setbacks.”
Green will miss his seventh game on Christmas Day when the Warriors visit the defending champion Denver Nuggets. The Warriors’ 13th straight game without Green will be on January 7 against the Toronto Raptors.
Without the temperamental forward, the Warriors have strung up five straight wins following an initial loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after his indefinite suspension was announced.
Green
Wojnarowski reported that Green is undergoing periodic virtual meetings with the NBA, NBPA and the Warriors to chart his progress aside from undergoing counseling.
“These Zoom meetings are playing a role in how the NBA, National Basketball Players Association and the Warriors measure Green’s progress toward working through whatever issues might have contributed to repeated violent episodes with opponents and a former teammate, sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote.
Green’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., team trainer Rick Celebrini, NBPA and NBA officials are part of these ongoing sessions, Wojnarowski added. However, Wojnarowski noted that the NBA has the final say on Green’s return.
Each game Green misses cost him $153,941 in his four-year, $100 million contract he signed last summer.
Trayce Jackson-Davis Rises in Draymond Green’s Absence
The Warriors are eligible to sign a replacement player after the first five games of Green’s suspension, according to Wojnarowski, but the team is not inclined to do it.
Part of that reason is the emergence of Warriors rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The 6-foot-9 Davis, who was the 57th overall pick of this year’s draft, has been a revelation.
Over his last four games, Jackson-Davis is averaging 11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 blocks.
On Friday, December 22, against the Washington Wizards, he joined this year’s top pick Victor Wembanyama and 2022 second overall pick Chet Holmgren as the only rookies who logged a back-to-back double-double. He punished the team that owned his draft rights with 10 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and one block that overshadowed Jordan Poole’s return to the Bay area since the trade.
Steve Kerr Impressed with Trayce Jackson-Davis
Jackson-Davis’ string of big games impressed Steve Kerr so much that the Warriors coach has decided to keep the rookie as part of the rotation moving forward. Kerr even compared him to the Warriors’ former center who played a key part in the early years of their dynasty.
“My first couple of years, we had Andrew Bogut,” Kerr said. “And we ran a lot of our offense through him at the top of the key. He was a master of dribble-handoffs and diving to the rim. That’s pretty high praise.”
“He’s got a long way to go, Trayce does, to become Andrew Bogut. But it’s a similar threat. Trayce is also a very good passer like Bogues was, but just being able to run those dribble-handoffs and dives. That’s the guy that I think of.”
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