Draymond Green to miss start of season with injury?

May 26, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half during game five of the 2022 western conference finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors may already be showing their age before training camp has even begun.

Jason Dumas of KRON-TV in the Bay Area reported Saturday that Warriors star Draymond Green has sprained his left ankle. While it is reportedly not a high-ankle sprain, Green’s injury could take him anywhere from three-to-six weeks to recover from, Dumas adds.

It is not yet clear how and when Green suffered the injury, especially since Warriors training camp does not officially start until Oct. 3. But players regularly participate in group or individual workouts throughout the offseason outside of usual team activities.

A three-to-six week timetable sounds like a pretty rough break for Green and the Warriors. At best, the ex-Defensive Player of the Year would miss all of training camp and the preseason. At worst, Green’s absence could bleed into mid-November, costing him roughly the first ten or so regular season games. Either way, that is bad news for a 33-year-old veteran who needs ample tune-up time to get himself in proper condition for the year.

With Green presumably out of the mix for the foreseeable future, the Warriors could turn to Jonathan Kuminga or Kevon Looney (depending on the matchup) to fill Green’s starting spot. It might also open the flexibility to solve the one big conundrum that Golden State has heading into the season.