Draymond Green reinstated after 12-game suspension

The NBA has reinstated Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green after his 12-game suspension, the league announced Saturday. Green has been undergoing counseling for several weeks along with holding progress meetings with the league and Warriors.

“During the period of his suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in him missing 12 games, Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players,” Joe Dumars, executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the NBA, said in a statement.

“He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.”

The four-time NBA champion was suspended indefinitely after striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during the Warriors’ Dec. 12 matchup against Phoenix. Golden State has gone 7-5 in Green’s absence and holds a 17-18 record.

What’s the significance of Green’s return?

The Warriors get their best defender back. He’s a coordinator on the floor and he’s been missed.

The Warriors had a 119.8 defensive rating in his 12-game absence, the eighth-worst in the NBA during that stretch. They’ve solved some of their early-season offensive troubles, curbing their turnovers while ticking up their pace, but this team can’t be taken seriously until it starts getting more stops. Nobody in the world — when he is eligible and physically right — helps you get stops better than Green. — Anthony Slater, Warriors senior writer

When will he return?

Green and Rick Celebrini, the team’s lead medical decision-maker, will determine that. There will be some sort of ramp-up process. He won’t play on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors at home, though Green is eligible. The Warriors then get two days off before a Wednesday home game against the Pelicans and then start a four-game road trip next Friday night in Chicago. — Slater

Biggest Green-related question upon his return

Whose minutes does he take and how long can he stay out of the league’s crosshairs? Jonathan Kuminga started all 12 games Green missed and has performed well enough to maintain his spot and heavy minute load. He just played a career-high 36 minutes in the previous game.

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It’s possible the Warriors inch Green back into the fold off the bench and theoretically could make him their starting center. The night he committed the foul on Nurkić, Kuminga had replaced Kevon Looney in the starting lineup to open the second half and Green had shifted to the five spot. — Slater

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(Photo: Tony Ding / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)