With the shorthanded Golden State Warriors facing the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Dubs head coach Steve Kerr has revealed that former Defensive Player of the Year winner Draymond Green will serve as the squad's starting center against the Mavs.

James Wiseman, Kevon Looney, and Eric Paschall have all been ruled out for Thursday's matchup which leaves Kerr with little choice. As expected, it will be Green who will be manning the five spot for the Warriors, as Kerr looks to play a lot of small-ball against a formidable Mavs side:

Green hasn't exactly had a strong start to the season, but things have been looking up for the three-time All-Star in recent games. With the myriad of injuries the Warriors are currently dealing with, Green will be getting all the minutes he can handle on Thursday.

This could serve as a good opportunity for Green to continue building on the momentum he has established over the past few games as he looks to return to peak form with the Warriors and give the team a boost in a crowded Western Conference.

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For what it's worth, the Warriors enter Thursday's matchup with just nine players available on the roster:

This is clearly not an ideal situation for the Dubs, but coach Kerr has been known to keep a tight rotation in the past. The lack of a traditional center available will be a significant disadvantage for the Warriors, but at this point, it would be foolish to think that the Mavs are in line for an easy win against Golden State on Thursday.

The Warriors are 11-10. They are outside the top eight in the Western Conference, but they are just half a game behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns, who are 11-9. The Memphis Grizzlies are fifth in the West with a 9-7 record. They haven't played nearly as many games as the Warriors, so there's a decent chance they could come back to the pack when they make up some of their games. The Dubs are very much in the mix for a playoff spot. Draymond Green has to lift them.