Ranking 10 NBA stars returning from injury by playoff importance

NBA star injury returns: No. 1 – Draymond Green

The Golden State Warriors are the modern NBA’s dynasty team, winning three titles and making five-straight NBA Finals. Then Klay Thompson went down, and it’s been two seasons in the wilderness. Klay is back, Stephen Curry is healthy, and the Warriors are ready to make another run at history.

To do so, they absolutely need a healthy Draymond Green. He was the league’s best defensive player through 34 games and the Warriors were at the top of the league. Then he went down with a nerve issue in his back just before Thompson returned, and the Warriors have wobbled a bit since.

With Green back on the court, the Warriors are the most dangerous team in the field. Curry, Thompson, and rising-star Jordan Poole are a deadly offensive attack, and with Green orchestrating the offense, they could be unstoppable.

Defensively, he will anchor a unit that will deploy Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Andre Iguodala around that trio. Andrew Wiggins is a two-way starter capable of pairing with Green in a variety of combinations, too.

This doesn’t even touch on the three young lottery picks – Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman – all of whom could be playing rotation minutes by the playoffs. Kuminga and Moody are doing that right now, and are developing in leaps and bounds.

Draymond Green, fully healthy and in shape, pairs with Curry and Thompson and a deep roster of supporting players to become truly deadly in the playoffs and a real threat to win it all.

As he returns in the next few days, the Warriors could be vaulted into the stratosphere if everything comes together, making his injury return the most important in the league.