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Jamal CollierESPN
Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green will be out at least two more weeks after evaluations indicated that the soreness in his left calf is tied to “the involvement of a disc in his lower back,” the team announced prior to Sunday’s 119-99 loss to the Timberwolves.
Green left last Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers early because of a sore left calf. He was on the court for the opening tip to honor Klay Thompson‘s return but exited moments after and has missed the past three games.
The Warriors said Green underwent an MRI the night of that game and has been evaluated by several specialists throughout the week. The Warriors said Green will continue to receive physical therapy in the coming days before being reevaluated in two weeks.
On Monday, the Warriors changed Green’s injury designation from “calf tightness” to “Left L5-S1; Disc — injury recovery.”
“The main thing is to be really safe and cautious,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before Sunday’s game. “It’s a long season. That’s my sense, that we’re very cautious. We’ll just see where it goes from there.”
Green, 31, has had a resurgent season for the Warriors, averaging 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting a career-high 53.7% from the field.
Otto Porter Jr. moved into the starting lineup because of Green’s absence, and Kerr expects to give more minutes to rookie forward Jonathan Kuminga. He played 33 in Sunday’s loss.
Golden State has yet to see its roster fully whole considering Green’s absence coincided with Thompson’s season debut. Green, Thompson and Stephen Curry still have not all played in a game together since 2019.
“We’re all looking forward to that,” Kerr said. “But this season, nothing surprises me. Nothing surprises any of my 29 [head-coaching] colleagues out there. You just move forward … the games go on. And you just prepare for them and do your best.”
Thompson said it’s best for Golden State to be cautious at this point of the season.
“It’s unfortunate, but we’ve all been through injuries. there’s no point in rushing back in mid-January,” he said. “We’re playing for something much bigger than that and when Dray does step on the floor, I’m going to be very grateful playing with him again.”