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Golden State Warriors Draymond Green revealed he stepped on teammate Jonathan Kuminga‘s foot, which led to his left ankle injury.
“I was just playing pick up [game] and score for a layup, then I came down JK’s foot, but I feel good,” Green told reporters during Monday’s Warriors Media Day.
Green is expected to be out for four to six weeks.
Kuminga is expected to be asked to step up should Green miss the first two weeks of the season. But the 33-year-old veteran forward is confident he will recover quickly.
“I feel like I’m improving fast, “Green said. “I’m a pretty fast healer.”
After signing a four-year extension worth $100 million this summer to stay in the Bay, Green was looking forward to redemption after the Warriors bounced in the second round of the playoffs. He did not foresee this injury coming.
“But everything happens for a reason,” said Green, who walked on his own to the podium without the help of crutches or a walking boot.
While the injury sets him back — missing the training camp, which will force him to play catchup, Green said he will lean on his 12-year NBA experience to speed things up.
“I’ve been on the block a few times,” Green said.
His goal is to make sure he’s part of the practices despite his injury.
“You don’t know everything that’s going on. Things change from year to year. So I’ll just try to be as much of a part of it as I can while still getting my work in and getting back as fast as I can,” Green said.
Green’s injury hit the Warriors’ frontcourt depth, which is already thin to begin with. With Green recovering, Kerr will have to bank on Kevon Looney and Dario Saric to man the slot, with Trayce Jackson-Davis having the opportunity to earn minutes early in his rookie season.
Jonathan Kuminga Is Confident of a Breakout Season
After a roller-coaster first two seasons in the league, Kuminga looks forward to carving a bigger role in the Warriors rotation, especially after the Jordan Poole trade.
“This upcoming season is definitely the year,” the 20-year-old forward told ESPN at the Basketball without Borders camp in South Africa in August.
“A lot of people are expecting so much from me – and myself; I’m expecting a lot. It’s a lot of pressure, but I don’t really pay attention to the noise. The pressure is always going to be there. It’s just [on] me to go out there and perform,” he added.
He is also expected to benefit from Chris Paul’s stabilizing leadership.
Last season, Kuminga averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20.8 minutes per game.
Warriors Complete 2-Way Slots
Former lottery pick Jerome Robinson completed the Golden State Warriors two-way slots, the team announced last week.
Robinson, the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, will join Lester Quiñones and Usman Garuba as the Warriors’ two-way players for the season. All three players are eligible to be with the Warriors for a maximum of 50 regular-season games.
The 26-year-old Robinson has been a mainstay with Golden State’s G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, appearing in 60 games over the last two seasons. He averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 29.6 minutes per game.
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