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Draymond Green will miss his second straight game due to calf tightness when the Golden State Warriors face the surging Houston Rockets on Thursday night. The team announced that an MRI on Green's calf showed no issues, and he could be back on the court for Friday's matchup against the Timberwolves.
According to a post in X(formerly Twitter) by Warriors PR: “Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who did not play in Tuesday's game in Denver due to left calf tightness, underwent an MRI yesterday. The MRI was negative (clear). Green will not play in tonight's game against the Houston Rockets. His status for tomorrow's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves is TBD.”
Although Green has dodged a significant injury, he remains sidelined for Thursday's game against Houston along with Stephen Curry. In his absence, Jonathan Kuminga is expected to see an expanded role on the court.
Draymond Green experiencing similar symptoms from his old injury in 2022
On an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Warriors veteran admitted he was “a little bit afraid” about his calf issue, recalling how a similar soft tissue injury sidelined him for three months during the 2021-22 season.
“I'll be 100 percent honest, I'm a little bit afraid,” Green remarked when talking about his injury. “But, in saying that, I have confidence in our staff, and I have confidence in that I'm getting ahead of it [the injury] right now because the smart thing to do is to catch it right now while I'm already getting these symptoms.”
Green shared that during the 2021-22 season, he experienced similar symptoms but chose to play through them, ultimately worsening the injury. This time, he's taking a more cautious approach, even if it requires sitting out longer to ensure his calf heals properly.
The Warriors struggling without Green on the court
Without Green, the Warriors have struggled significantly on both ends of the court, particularly on defense. His absence was glaring during Tuesday's loss to Denver, where late-game turnovers on offense and defensive lapses proved costly in the clutch.
In his 13th year in the NBA with the Warriors, Green is putting up 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and a career-high 40.3% from beyond the arc through 19 games this season.
Stephen Curry will also be sidelined for Thursday's matchup against the Rockets as the team manages his workload and an injury concern. The Warriors are aiming to halt a five-game skid, having fallen to the Spurs, Nets, Thunder, Suns, and Nuggets in the past two weeks.
De'Anthony Melton, who was previously ruled out for the season, underwent successful surgery this week to address his ACL injury, adding a new detail to his extended recovery timeline.
The Dubs face a steep challenge in this matchup, already missing Green, Curry, and Melton. Losing a fourth starter would only intensify the difficulty of an already daunting task.
Rockets forward Tari Eason, who is in concussion protocol, will miss his first game of the season tonight, ending his run of appearing in all 22 of Houston’s contests so far. Drafted 17th overall in 2022, Eason has established himself as a dependable contributor, averaging 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his third year while coming off the bench.
