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The Golden State Warriors have cooled off of late, going 5-5 in their last 10 games and all five of those losses have come with Draymond Green not playing. Green’s presence is obviously critical for the Golden State defense, but he’s also huge as a creator and connector offensively to help ease the burden on Golden State’s guards.
Unfortunately for Golden State, Green, who has been dealing with calf tightness, will miss at least two weeks as the Warriors medical staff has discovered that the root of his calf issue is actually a disc injury in his lower back. The team announced on Sunday that he’ll miss two weeks and then be re-evaluated, which does not guarantee a return at that point.
Draymond Green injury update: pic.twitter.com/TiFYe9VUow
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) January 16, 2022
The two-week timetable would mean Green will miss at least eight games, including Sunday’s tilt with the Timberwolves in which they’ll also be without Stephen Curry, who injured his hand late last week and will skip the final game of this road trip. The Warriors are currently second in the West at 31-11, 2.5 games ahead of the Grizzlies and three games ahead of the Jazz in the four-team breakaway atop the West. Navigating this stretch of schedule without Draymond as they continue to work Klay Thompson back into the rotation could end up important for seeding, but in the grand scheme, Golden State knows the most important thing will be ensuring this back issue doesn’t linger and trying to get Green healthy for the stretch run and playoffs.
