'No Exact Timetable': Mavs' Josh Green Offers Injury Update
The Dallas Mavericks have been without Josh Green in their lineup since following their 106-105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 9. He suffered an elbow injury that has kept him out for over a month.
The Mavs have practiced twice since returning from their recent road trip. During the portion of Friday's practice that was open to the media, he spent much of his time participating in 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 against contact with Jaden Hardy and A.J. Lawson.
“We have Josh working, playing one-on-one with contact, so that’s a good sign," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after Friday's practice. "Maxi was out there moving a little, too, so a lot of good things for us on the floor.”
“I feel good,” Green said. “I started with contact the last two days. It’s been tough because we’ve had so many games and there’s not so many practice days. So I’m just going to continue with this, see how the elbow feels, put it in situations that (simulate games) and see how it goes.”
Green didn't have an exact timetable for his return to offer after Friday's practice. However, he mentioned that he will join the Mavs during their upcoming road trip. Regardless, he will follow the direction of what the training staff and coaching staff want from him.
“There is no exact timetable," Green said of a possible return. "I'll be traveling on this road trip. ... I’m just making sure I’m doing the right things for the team — communicating with the training staff, coaching staff, and treatment room..."
Green suffered his elbow injury during the Bucks game when he was "arm-locked" by Grayson Allen when competing for the basketball. He was pursuing a steal off a deflection during the play. He felt something was wrong, causing him to uncharacteristically not shoot jump shots.
“In the first half, I kind of got a steal out of bounds, a deflection and my arm kind of got arm-locked by Grayson Allen,” Green said. “I kind of got stuck and it hurt a lot. I couldn’t really shoot too much in the second half, so I tried to get to the basket as much as I could. And I wanted to finish the game out. It’s better now than the end of the season.”
While Green is an integral component of what the Mavs accomplish, the team has managed to stay afloat with him sidelined. They have gone 9-5 in the games they've played since Green has been sidelined, including a seven-game winning streak.
The Mavs have missed his connective presence on offense, between his improved catch-and-shoot ability, along with his impact attacking closeouts for finishes and playmaking chances. His energy on the boards, when guarding the ball, and swarming in the half-court are missed defensively, too.
Green is having a career-year, averaging 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. The team has thrived when he's shared the floor with Luka Doncic, posting an 18.8 net rating during the 262 minutes they've shared the floor — the best among all of the team's 31 two-man lineup combinations with at least 200 minutes.
With Christian Wood playing alongside Doncic a lot more since Green's injury, seeing the three-man combination with all of them on the floor will be something to monitor upon Green's return. In the 166 minutes those three have played together, the Mavs have produced a staggering 29.2 net rating with excellent results both offensively and defensively.
Green will surely seek to continue solidifying himself amid a career year from a personal impact standpoint, too. He had grown more comfortable initiating plays before his injury, which made the Mavs a more layered offense.
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