Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - December 30th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Golden State Warriors will fly to Colorado to face off against the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena on Thursday, December 30th. In their last meeting with the Nuggets on Tuesday, the Warriors came up short at the Chase Center.
Although Warriors superstar Steph Curry shot poorly from the field, his tremendous shooting in the fourth quarter kept his team in the game. However, the league's reigning MVP Nikola Jokic saw the Denver Nuggets through to a close 89-86 win.
The Warriors will now hope to turn things around in this away game as they seek to improve their 27-7 season record.
Golden State Warriors Injury Report
The Golden State Warriors will have four players in their injury report for their rematch against the Denver Nuggets.
Draymond Green, Damion Lee and James Wiseman will remain sidelined because of the league's health and safety protocol. Although Green is listed as day to day, it is unlikely he will be available for this game.
Lee is expected to clear quarantine on January 1st, while Wiseman is the newest addition to the health and safety protocol list. This is another setback for Wiseman, who is recovering from a knee injury.
James Wiseman has entered the league's health and safety protocols. He is in the later stages of what has been a tedious meniscus rehab and this will only complicate that a bit more.
Apart from these players, Klay Thompson remains sidelined, as he rehabilitates from an injury.
The Warriors will hope to have Jordan Poole and Moses Moody available for the next game. They have been listed as questionable after clearing the health and safety protocols.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
The Denver Nuggets have struggled with injury this season. Their woes on that front have continued ahead of their rematch against the Golden State Warriors at home.
Monte Morris and Austin Rivers have been listed as questionable for this game. Aaron Gordon and Vlatko Cancar have also been listed as questionable due to injury and illness, respectively. Markus Howard will be out as well, as he's recovering from a knee injury.
#Nuggets injury report … now has Austin Rivers (questionable) with a thumb sprain in addition to everyone else. https://t.co/xyGY8dNRK7
The Denver Nuggets have no players in health and safety protocol. However, long-term injuries mean PJ Dozier, Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray will remain out for the foreseeable future.
Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets Predicted Lineups
Golden State Warriors
With the return of key players, the Golden State Warriors should be back to their usual lineup before injuries.
Jordan Poole isn’t on the Warriors injury report for tomorrow’s game in Denver, clearing the way for his return after six games missed in protocols. Moses Moody isn’t listed either. He’s missed the last few in protocols.
With the potential return of Jordan Poole after clearing health and safety protocols earlier today, the Golden State Warriors backcourt should comprise of Poole and Steph Curry.
The frontcourt could feature a few changes in the absence of Draymond Green. Like in the last game, the Warriors could run with Kevon Looney at center and Andrew Wiggins at small forward, while Juan Toscano-Anderson fills in at power forward.
Off the bench, the Golden State Warriors have some flexibility, as they can use Andre Iguodala, Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr. in the frontcourt. The backcourt could see Gary Payton II play more minutes.
The Warriors have been using Jonathan Kuminga quite frequently. So he should see some minutes in this game.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are seriously shorthanded as they enter this rematch against the Golden State Warriors. With Nikola Jokic and Will Barton being the only available starters, the rest of the rotation looks variable.
In the absence of Monte Morris, Facundo Campazzo has been given the task of starting point guard. In the backcourt, Austin Rivers accompanied him as the shooting guard spot in the previous game.
Will Barton should start at small forward along with Nikola Jokic at center. With Aaron Gordon absent, Jeff Green entered the starting rotation as power forward. He could do so in Thursday's game as well.
Off the bench, the Denver Nuggets appear shorthanded in virtually every position. They'll look to Nah'Shon Hyland and Zeke Nnaji to play significant minutes. The availability of JaMychal Green is a welcome boost for the injury-plagued Nuggets roster.
Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets Predicted Starting 5s
Golden State Warriors
G - Steph Curry | G - Jordan Poole | F - Andrew Wiggins | F - Juan Toscano-Anderson | C - Kevon Looney.
Denver Nuggets
G - Facundo Campazzo | G - Nah'Shon Hyland | F - Will Barton | F - Jeff Green | C - Nikola Jokic.