The Warriors’ defense is set to receive a huge boost Sunday against the Blazers as one of the league’s top stoppers returns to the lineup. Draymond Green, 35, has missed the past three games with both a right foot sprain and for an excused personal reason, but made the trip up to Portland and was not listed on the NBA’s afternoon injury report.
The defense sorely lacked Green’s presence in San Francisco on Friday, when the Warriors lost 127-120 and gave up 66 points in the paint to the supersized Wolves. Rudy Gobert scored 24 points and repeatedly dunked on a soft Golden State interior, feasting on missed rotations that Green would have likely made had he been playing center.
Green is averaging 8.0 points, 6.1 points, and 5.5 assists per game while playing 28.2 minutes a night and contributing elite defense. Green will join a frontcourt that has relied upon Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the absence of Green and Al Horford.
Post has played well in Green’s absence, at least offensively. He has scored in double figures in each of the past four games, playing at least 25 minutes in each contest. Jackson-Davis has also played double-figure minutes in the last three games, shooting 8 of 12 and grabbing 15 total rebounds.
But neither brings the defensive acumen that Green contributes to the Warriors.
Horford remained out with sciatica. The 39-year-old has played in only one game — in Philadelphia — since Nov. 21.
The backcourt might be slightly depleted in Portland too, as both Seth Curry (glute) and Gary Payton II (illness) are questionable.
Injuries have been a consistent theme for the Warriors this season. Steph Curry just recently returned from a five-game absence caused by a left quad injury suffered against Houston, scoring 39 points in his comeback. Jimmy Butler, the team’s second most-notable offensive threat, has missed four games.
The team has played each of the last two games without its most athletic player, although that is not because of any ailment. Fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga has been a healthy scratch in both Chicago and against the Wolves.
Even with Green missing the past two games, that was not enough to convince Steve Kerr to play Kuminga at power forward. Instead, the longtime Warriors coach opted to put Gui Santos at the position, citing the Brazilian’s relentless energy and activity as something the team needed as it worked through a front-loaded start to the season.
An odd quirk in the schedule has given the Warriors an opportunity to rest, however.
The Trail Blazers matchup was a late addition to the schedule, with the game added after the teams were eliminated from the NBA Cup. After playing a highly congested schedule to begin the year, the Warriors are playing only two games in a nine-game span.
Golden State, which entered Sunday 13-13, will not play again until Thursday night in Phoenix against the Suns.