Golden State Warriors Injury Report: Latest update on Draymond Green's injury
Draymond Green will miss his second straight regular-season game for the Golden State Warriors. Steve Kerr confirmed Green's absence during an October 25 appearance on 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs" show. Green has been nursing an ankle sprain since the start of training camp.
The veteran forward returned to five-on-five workouts on October 22, but is likely working on his fitness in an effort to reduce the risk of sustaining a relapse on the sprain.
Green's absence could lead Kerr to stick with the small-ball lineup he rolled out against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chris Paul partnered with Steph Curry in the Warriors backcourt as part of that rotation. However, Golden State has sorely missed Green's defensive presence.
The veteran forward is a defensive quarterback for Kerr's team and is one of the most talented defenders in the NBA. Without Green in the rotation, the Warriors are far more susceptible to being carved open by opposing cutters and screeners.
Golden State has no other players on their injury report at present, which should allow them to go deep into their talented bench rotation if needed. The Warriors will be facing the Sacramento Kings. Their speed will be a different type of test for Kerr's team, so, a small-ball rotation could be the ideal counter to limit the effectiveness of the De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis duo.
Draymond Green isn't worried about the Warriors lack of size
The Golden State Warriors have one of the smaller rosters in the NBA. Their two tallest players are Dario Saric and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis, who are 6-foot-10. As such, there are concerns about the Warriors' ability to deal with some of the bigger teams in the league, especially if they choose to play physically against Golden State.
Draymond Green isn't concerned, though. The veteran forward believes the Warriors' commitment to skillful players will allow them to be competitive at the highest levels. Green also noted how the Warriors have won multiple championships with a small-ball-based rotation.
"No, I wouldn't necessarily worry about that," Green said "With that very small team, we won a championship a couple of years ago. These are things the bigger teams have to handle when they are playing against us, with our speed. So I wouldn't worry about that."
Of course, once Green is back in the Warriors rotation, Kerr will have some additional flexibility with his lineups, which could help keep some size on the court at all times. Green isn't likely to remain on the sidelines much longer, and will be a welcomed addition back onto the court.