SAN FRANCISCO (AP)— Draymond Green returned to practice with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, one day after being reinstated by the NBA following a 12-game suspension.
He also sat on the bench as the Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors, participating in huddles during timeouts.
“It was great, we missed him dearly, and we’ll never be the same until he’s back in the lineup,” Klay Thompson said following a 133-118 loss. “We are excited for his return to the court, and he is clearly the backbone and heart and soul of this team, so I’m looking forward to just playing and being out there with Draymond again. “He’ll make a difference.”
Coach Steve Kerr wasn’t sure when Green would be ready to play again after spending so much time working on himself after hitting Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face on December 12.
“He’s here, he looks good, and he’s excited to be here,” Kerr stated before the game. “We just had a walkthrough, so he participated in it. It’s good to have him back.
For the time being, Green will resume his regular shooting routine and meet daily with Rick Celebrini, vice president of player health and performance, to assess his fitness and readiness for game action. This will include increased scrimmaging, similar to what the Warriors do when a player returns from injury.
“We’ll just see,” said Kerr, who doesn’t know how much Green might have played basketball during the absence. “I have no idea when that will be.”
The emotional Warriors forward also had previously served a five-game suspension in November for putting a choke hold on Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert.
The league announced Saturday the end of Green’s indefinite suspension, saying he “demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players” during the penalty that began Dec. 14. Green has met with a counselor as well as had multiple joint meetings with representatives of the league, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association.
The 33-year-old Green, a key member of four Warriors championships, was ejected for the 18th time in his career — most among active NBA players — during that 119-116 loss at Phoenix.
Kerr and the Warriors are hoping Green can come back and still be the fiery player that makes him so good but do so without crossing the line and going too far. He brought an energy and lift of the spirits just being back at Chase Center.
“For sure,” Kerr said. “Everybody’s excited to see him, it’s great to have him back. He’s one of our leaders and he’s happy to be back, so it’s a good vibe in there.”
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