Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been out since Jan. 9 with a back injury, missing the team’s past 20 games.
On Wednesday, the Warriors provided media and fans an update on Green’s status, saying he’s making progress in his recovery and expects to be back sometime after the NBA All-Star break.
Green will be in Cleveland for NBA All-Star weekend, but as a broadcaster for Turner Sports. As announced on Tuesday, he’ll call an alternate broadcast of Sunday’s All-Star Game on TBS with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
Broadcasting is definitely part of Green’s future. He’s an analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA, the first to do so regularly while still an active player. And most expect him to take Barkley’s place once the Hall of Famer retires.
But on Wednesday’s Damon and Ratto show, 95.7 The Game’s Damon Bruce said he believes Green should spend the All-Star break continuing to rehab and get treatment on his back rather than go to Cleveland to broadcast for Turner.
“Draymond is clearly allowed to go pursue his other interests, and I know he’s part of the TNT broadcasting crew now,” Bruce said. “Wouldn’t his All-Star Game be better served staying right here in the Bay and receiving treatment constantly? Having him go to Cleveland so he can be a talking head is counter-productive to what we’re doing here, in my mind.”
Co-host Ray Ratto disagreed, contending that if the Warriors — and Green himself — thought he could recover and return faster by staying for treatment, then they would ask him to do so. But going to Cleveland and broadcasting the All-Star Game won’t affect his progress.
The two also disputed whether Green sought permission from team ownership, the front office, and coach Steve Kerr or he just decided on his own to do this without checking with his bosses.
That’s quite an assertion by Bruce, though Ratto is probably correct to give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt. Yet if Green does take longer to return from injury and the Warriors are less dominant because of it (Golden State is 13-7 while Green has been out), then he may have a point. Otherwise, this issue will likely be forgotten soon.