The reunion of the Warriors championship core will be on hold a little longer.
Draymond Green has missed the last five Warriors games with calf pain (he did play seven seconds against Cleveland to be on the court for Klay Thompson’s return, but that was it), so the team doctors conducted an MRI on that calf and lower back. The results found a lower back disc issue causing the calf pain, and with that Green will be sidelined for at least two weeks, when he will be re-evaluated, the team announced Sunday.
Draymond Green injury update: pic.twitter.com/TiFYe9VUow
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) January 16, 2022
Because this is tied to a back issue and the Warriors will be cautious, this very likely could last longer than two weeks. Maybe even past the All-Star break in mid-February.
Otto Porter started the games Green has been out and will likely continue in that role. Rookie Jonathan Kuminga, who has played well of late coming off the bench, will also get more run.
Neither replaces what Green brings, either as a defensive quarterback — he is in the Defensive Player of the Year running — or as a secondary playmaker on the short roll when opposing teams trap Stephen Curry.
The Warriors will be without Green through a softer part of the schedule, at least at first, including a seven-game homestand that starts this week.
