Draymond Green Set for NBA Return After 12-Game Suspension

Draymond Green will return to NBA action, having been suspended for the last 12 games due to his unsavory incident with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, who was hit in the face by the Golden State Warriors star on December 12th.

Green had already been suspended for five games in November, that ban coming after he placed Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock. Thus far, the Warriors man has lost over $1.9 million from his salary due to fines relating to these incidents, and indeed some felt he was deserving of even more censure.

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Steve Kerr's Warriors have gone 7-5 over the course of the latest ban and are now 17-19 for the season as a whole. Golden State certainly needs to get their season back on track, and in playing terms, Draymond Green has a lot to offer the Chase Center franchise.

On the ending of his suspension, the NBA released a statement,

"Draymond Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players. He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season."

On his imminent return, Kerr stated,

"Everybody is excited to see him,"

"He's one of our leaders and he's happy to be back. So it's a good vibe."

"He'll work with [trainer] Rick [Celebrini] every day," Kerr said Sunday. "Get lots of shots up, scrimmage, but I have no idea when all of that will be," Kerr added.

Indeed, having spent such a large period out of action, it may well take some time before Green is back on court in Golden State Warriors colors.

Kerr was also quick to point out that this enforced lay-off is not akin to an injury and that the road back may not be as straightforward as many believe,

"This was not a sprained ankle; this was not a twisted knee,"

"This is an issue that Draymond is trying to get help with. So space was important for him and us. We're trying to win games and he's trying to put himself in a position to come back."

The 33-year-old Michigan State graduate was selected by the Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft and is now in his 12th season with the team. In the course of his time at Golden State, Green has won four NBA titles, is a four-time NBA All-Star pick, and is clearly a hugely important member of Kerr's roster, but only time will tell how quickly he gets up to speed when he does indeed take to the court again.

Green signed a four-year contract extension last June, worth a hefty $100 million, which goes some way to illustrating his importance to the franchise.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)