Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will not play Sunday versus the New Orleans Pelicans due to a right pelvic contusion, according to the league's official injury report.
Green's absence means the five-time All-NBA Defensive team member and 2016-17 NBA Defensive Player of the Year will have to wait until next season for his first crack at guarding Zion Williamson.
Green has missed fourteen games this season, but the three-time champ has played well in the other 42. In the absence of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Green is putting up 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per 36 minutes, while bringing his signature toughness, intensity, and smarts to both ends. Most importantly, that example reinforces the franchise's winning culture for the younger players on the roster, including Andrew Wiggins.
Green praised Wiggins' potential earlier in the week, and will clearly be seeking to impart some of his defensive wisdom and competitive fire onto the 24-year-old.
“I think he can be an All-Defensive (team) player,” Green said of Wiggins on Wednesday, according to NBC Sports' Monte Poole. “That’s one of my goals for him, as the leader of this team, one of my things that I really want to push him on. He has all the tools. He has the athleticism.”
As of this writing, the Warriors (12-44) sit at the bottom of the league standings, though the impending March 1st return of Curry should add some intrigue to the final few weeks of the season as the Warriors work to incorporate Wiggins.
Golden State will host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at the Chase Center.
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