Draymond Green has shown up in Golden State’s injury report with a back injury for the past 13 games, but has never felt any back pain. His doctors have said he won’t need surgery, but he knows he might never be “out of the woods.” He’s confident he’ll return stronger than before, but hopes that will be in three to four weeks — and can’t even guarantee that.
Back injuries are tricky. Green and the Warriors are learning that together. Moments after being named to his fourth All-Star team, Green spoke with local media in the Chase Center’s interview room to share what the injury has been like for him.
“I’m hoping some time within the next three weeks or so,” Green said of his timetable for return. “Three or four weeks. I can’t really put a definite timeline on it. Because at this point, I’m just rehabbing and building strength. And just kind of letting my body heal. Ideally, I would love to be back in the next three to four weeks. But I can’t guarantee that. Because it’s not one of those things where, ‘Oh, my ankle feels better and now I can go back and play.’ It’s just not that. As much as I wish it was, it’s just not. And so when dealing with the back, the one thing I’m not going to do is rush back out there.”
Green first started feeling tightness in his left calf on Saturday, Jan. 8, the night before the Warriors hosted Cleveland. He told GSW director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini about it the next morning, and they decided he’d try to test out his leg in warmups. But as Green started form shooting, he instantly knew there was something wrong and shook his head to Celebrini.
“It was a disaster trying to shoot,” Green said.
Since the Cleveland game was Klay Thompson’s first game back after 941 days away from the court, Green still wanted to start the game to honor him. Seven seconds after the opening tip, he took a foul and exited to GSW’s locker room.
Green still didn’t know exactly what was wrong. Celebrini did, though. That night, Green got an MRI on his back —not his leg. He was later diagnosed with an L5-S1 disc injury. The pain he felt in his calf was a symptom of his back injury.
“I had no idea that things could connect that way,” Green said. “That the main source of the injury wasn’t the actual injury, or the actual spot that appeared to be injured. I had no clue that that was even possible.”
Green said he consulted with doctors both in Los Angeles and in The Bay. None of them recommended surgery, he said, something that’s remained consistent in the four weeks since.
Green looks at the process, from the diagnosis to the subsequent rehabbing, as a positive learning experience. He’s been able to focus on working on some areas — his abs and glutes — that typically don’t get as much attention in the weight room.
The three-time NBA Champion has started shooting again and has been mostly pain-free through this whole ordeal. He said he has no symptoms now and never felt anything in his back. But he needs to build back strength and maintain posture; bending his back awkwardly could set him back.
“Ultimately, this will be a positive for me,” Green said. “I think I’ll come back stronger. I think I’ll come back faster, jumping higher due to the things that I’m able to work on now.”
When that return may be is very much to be determined. Green wants to come back when he’s 100% healthy and in great shape, because anything less could lead to overcompensating and possible re-injury. If he comes back when his conditioning truly allows him to avoid bad habits, there shouldn’t be risk for recurring issues, he said.
In the 14 games without Green — including the seven-second Cleveland night — Golden State is 10-4, with its active seven-game winning streak. Green is as responsible as anyone for the Warriors’ second-best record in the NBA and their league-best defense.
Green is averaging 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. And though GSW’s defense has maintained a high level without the point-forward, some of that is due to the culture Green helped instill.
“One thing’s for certain: Nobody has played better defense than me,” Green said.