Getty Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors jokes with photographers during the Warriors' media day on October 02, 2023 in San Francisco, California.
Draymond Green will miss his second straight game when the Golden State Warriors begin their three-game road trip on Friday night in Sacramento, according to coach Steve Kerr.
“No, he won’t play Friday night,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game on Thursday, October 26. “I’d be shocked [if he plays]. He went through a scrimmage today and really is making strides. But in my mind, it’s not a couple of days [before he could play]. It’s a little more than that. So maybe on the road trip at some point, but highly doubtful for the Sacramento game.”
The Warriors will continue their road trip in Houston on Sunday and New Orleans on Monday. If Green returns during the road trip, it will likely come on the second night of their back-to-back schedule. If not, his next chance will be a home game on November 1 in a rematch with the Kings.
The 33-year-old Green suffered a sprained left ankle three days before the training camp.
Without Green, Klay Thompson played more of his minutes at power forward during the Warriors’ 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns during the NBA opening night.
Green signed a $100 million, four-year deal to return to the Warriors for what could be the final stretch of his run with Stephen Curry and Thompson.
Chris Paul Dwells on Positive From Debut Loss
The Warriors fell short. But Chris Paul gleaned many positives, like how much space he got off playing with Stephen Curry, the NBA’s greatest shooter.
“I’m just excited to tell you the truth,” Paul said. “There were a lot of good things we did, a lot of not-so-great things, but the freedom — the pull-up 3s that I got a chance to shoot.”
Paul, though, failed to cash in those opportunities, missing all his six 3-point field goal attempts. Chalk it up to opening night jitters.
“When you’re playing with know guys that shoot as good as Stephen Curry consistently, I think the more games you just get, the more comfortable you get of being aggressive, finding that balance.”
Steve Kerr Laments Warriors’ Glaring Weakness
Paul gave the Warriors another ball-handler and playmaker. But the Warriors failed to address their lack of size and athleticism in the offseason.
It reared its ugly head in its fourth-quarter collapse.
“Their (Suns) offensive rebounds were killers,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters postgame.
The Warriors lost an 88-80 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. The Suns suddenly got red-hot, fueled by their offensive rebounding. An 11-0 run wiped out the Warriors lead. During that attack, the Suns had five second-chance points on three offensive rebounds to briefly take a 91-88 lead.
Phoenix outrebounded Golden State 60-49. While the Warriors grabbed one more offensive rebound, 18-17, the Suns delivered when it mattered.
In the decisive fourth quarter, the Suns grabbed six offensive boards and had 10 second-chance points. It was enough to overhaul the Warrior’s lead and fend off their last-ditch rally.