The Golden State Warriors will be incredibly short-handed when they face the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Draymond Green is a late scratch on the injury report, joining the majority of Steve Kerr’s veteran core. He’s being listed as having a lower back issue.
The Warriors will now be without Green, Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Seth Curry and Kristaps Porzingis for their matchup with one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
To make matters worse, the Warriors are coming into the night on the back of a two-game losing streak. And considering they’re already 3.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns, who sit seventh in the West, Kerr’s team can’t afford another loss on their record.
The only silver lining is that Denver isn’t at full strength, either. Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, both key members of the rotation, are both sidelined with injury. Still, the Warriors’ issues run far deeper, and now, Kerr will be forced to lean on some of his younger stars as the franchise continues to try to tread water.
Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard will likely be tasked with absorbing most of the offensive load. Al Horford, one of the only veterans available, may be tasked with anchoring the middle of the floor and matching up with Nikola Jokic.
Warriors Are Protecting Stephen Curry
We haven’t seen Stephen Curry on the court since the Warriors’ 124-131 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 30. And while the results of his latest MRI show there is no structural damage, he’s still dealing with some pain and discomfort.
When speaking with Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr addressed the notion of potentially shutting Curry down for the remainder of the season, noting how the team is doing its best to protect its superstar point guard.
“We’re not going to do anything silly, obviously,” Kerr said. “We are protecting him. But as soon as he’s healthy, he’s going to play. That’s what this is about. We have lots to play for. We’re right in the mix in the playoffs. This is an injury that’s been nagging. It’s not like this is something that’s going to hurt him next year if we put him out there now.”
Curry has suited up for 39 games this season, averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He’s shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range.
Warriors Owner Has No Interest In Tanking
As the Warriors roster continues to age, the idea of entering a rebuilding phase becomes more prevalent. After all, Curry, Green, Butler and Horford are all on the wrong side of their thirties. And, with discussions over shutting Curry down for the season now making it into the national media, rebuilding chatter is sure to follow.
However, any talk of a future rebuild involving a tanking season should immediately be brushed off. During a recent interview with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Warriors owner Joe Lacob made it clear that tanking doesn’t align with his view of sports.
“I think you know, it is not in my DNA, nor in this organization’s DNA, to [tank],” Lacob said. “It’s not a good look. This is sports. We’re supposed to play to win. And that’s just not a way I would be comfortable, ever, trying to improve our team.”
“Some of our fans, I’m sure — I hear it all the time — would love us to, whatever you want to call it, lose for a better draft position because they assume we’re not going to win this year,” Lacob continued. “I could never do that. And I don’t think our coach is built that way or our team.”
Still, any talk of a future rebuild is premature. Curry likely still has multiple years left in the league. As such, the Warriors will undoubtedly focus on trying to get him a fifth championship ring. Unfortunately, none of that will help the team on Sunday, when they face off against the Nuggets without any of their top stars.
Warriors fans will be hoping the roster can get back to full strength (minus Butler, who is out for the season) very soon.
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