For the last couple of years, the Golden State Warriors have been trying to recapture their former glory in order to win their fifth championship of the Stephen Curry era. While they appear to have a roster that can compete with any other team in the league, it hasn’t come together yet this season.
The Warriors are 9-9 and have lost three games in a row, and they will try to get back in the win column on Monday when they host the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, they will be considerably short-handed.
Forward Jonathan Kuminga, one of their most integral players due in part to his youth and athleticism, has missed the Warriors’ last five games, and he will be out once again. Center Al Horford will miss at least a week because of sciatica, but yet another key member of the Warriors will sit out Monday’s game.
Per ESPN, forward Draymond Green will not play after sustaining an ankle sprain in Golden State’s last game.
“Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will miss Monday night’s game against the Utah Jazz because of a right foot sprain,” wrote Anthony Slater.
“Green sustained the injury when Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan fell on him during a scramble for a loose ball during a 127-123 home loss on Friday.”
Over the years, some have looked at Green’s stats and the fact that he has averaged single figures in scoring every year since the 2018-19 season and concluded that he isn’t a very good player. But he continues to be integral to what the Warriors are trying to do, not to mention the team’s emotional and spiritual leader.
He’s averaging 8.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game this season, and he has increased his 3-point shot volume while hitting a decent 35.7% from that distance. Green also remains one of the better and most intense defenders in the league, even if he continues to be a loose cannon who is prone to picking up flagrant fouls and losing his temper.
Last season, after the Warriors traded for six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, they finished the season 23-8 and were branded as dark horse contenders. A strong argument could be made that had Curry not injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Warriors would’ve advanced and played for a spot in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors have some difficult games coming up in the next two weeks, including matchups against the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers. They will need to get healthy quickly in order to avoid falling behind in the Western Conference to the point where they cannot catch up.
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