Draymond Green limited by injured back in NBA Finals
A back injury is behind Green’s recent struggles on the court.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green revealed Tuesday night he was dealing with back issues during Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Green struggled in the 96-91 loss at Quicken Loans Arena, and said afterwards that back soreness was part of the problem.
The injury occurred with 7:01 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Green went airborne in an attempt to block a driving LeBron James, then lost his balance mid-air and crashed to the ground. He remained on the ground for a few moments, but never left the game.
Green told Rosalyn Gold-Onwude of CSN Bay Area that his back “is locked up at all times -- pain with explosion, jumping and contact.” It sounds like the issue began prior to Game 3, however, given that Green “barely participated” in shootaround Tuesday morning.
The 25-year-old struggled throughout Game 3, finishing with seven points, seven rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. He shot just 2-of-10 from the field and ended up losing minutes to David Lee. Over the past four games, Green has shot 11-of-45 (24 percent) from the field.
A back injury would help explain why Green has played so poorly, though it doesn’t necessarily offer Golden State any useful solutions. With Game 4 set for Thursday night, there isn’t much time for the forward to relax and hope his back recovers. More likely, we’re going to see some extra Lee.
That may be good for Golden State if Green is limited, though. The forward’s emergence this season has been a big part of Golden State’s rise, but he hasn’t looked the same over the past couple weeks and now the Cavaliers lead the finals, 2-1. If his back doesn’t hold up, Green likely won’t play as large a role over the final few games of the series.
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