Steph explains what Warriors must do if Draymond misses time originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors have cruised through the early part of the season with barely a hint of adversity, but some might be coming after Draymond Green exited Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a thigh contusion.
Green obviously has been an integral part of the Warriors’ 10-1 start, serving as a key cog in Golden State’s top-ranked defense.
After the game, coach Steve Kerr said Green would be questionable for Friday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls at Chase Center. Steph Curry and the Warriors know they’ll have to pick up the slack if Green is forced to miss time.
“You have to have a collective effort on the defensive end to try to do what he does by himself as a disruptor on that end,” Curry said. “Offensively, it changes a little bit if he’s not out there in terms of who’s initiating the offense and how we create shots, but this team is obviously a little different in that respect, knowing we have kind of shooters all over the floor and different sets to help feature those guys. But obviously defense is most important because that’s what wins basketball games.”
Green injured his thigh with 6:45 left in the third quarter when he went up for a shot at the rim and appeared to knock knees with Jaden McDaniels. Green exited the game and did not return. Kerr said there is no concern that Green’s knee was injured, calling it a bad bruise.
“When he came off the floor he said it was a bad thigh, muscle bruise,” Kerr said. “Like he just got kneed in the thigh, but it was close to the knee. But I have no reason to believe it has anything to do with a joint contusion from what I understand.”
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Green scored seven points, dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds in 21 minutes before the injury.
The injury does not appear to be a long-term one, but it’s possible that Green could miss a few games as the bruise heals. If that happens, the Warriors will have to collectively make up for Green’s absence, especially on the defensive side of the court.