SAN FRANCISCO – When Draymond Green, listed as questionable on the injury report Sunday with a knee contusion, was ruled out two hours before tipoff against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it placed another obstacle in front of a Warriors team limping to the finish of the regular season.
Limping, when a sprint is needed to have a reasonable chance of earning a favorable postseason seed.
“It flared up today, so he will be more thoroughly checked out by our medical staff,” coach Steve Kerr said of Green’s right knee. “It was sort of unexpected. The way he came through treatment (Saturday), everything was looking good, and he had a setback today.”
Green is expected to undergo an MRI test, after which the Warriors hope to have greater clarity regarding a prognosis.
If Draymond’s right knee injury, described as a “contusion,” becomes a lingering issue, it’s bound to have a negative impact on an already weak area. He is the team’s highest-rated defender and most indispensable to a defense struggling to become respectable.
Draymond’s absence puts Jonathan Kuminga back into the starting lineup for the second game in a row. The second-year forward did not fare well Friday in Golden State’s 116-101 win over the reeling Houston Rockets, contributing seven points, four rebounds and a team-high four turnovers in 24 minutes.
Though Green’s absence also puts rookie forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. in line for more playing time, and he has played well, this is another opportunity for Kuminga, a 2021 lottery pick, to make himself valuable.
Golden State Warriors
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And do it when the Warriors need it most, considering they are among 10 Western Conference teams – fourth place through 13th – separated by fewer than four games.