The Golden State Warriors have their backs against the wall going into Game 3 of their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, and they will look to prevent falling down a 3-0 hole without the help of the suspended Draymond Green. With that, the Warrior will be parading a smaller starting unit, with Jordan Poole named as starter in lieu of Green, per Shams Charania of The Atheltic.
Draymond Green will serve a one-game suspension in this Thursday night's meeting with the Kings for his violent stomp on the chest of Kings star Domantas Sabnonis in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Poole played in that game but did not shoot very well from the field, going just 1-for-7 for four points in 16 minutes of action coming off the bench. Poole also appears to be at a sub-100 percent form because of an ankle issue, but he will have to play through it, especially with the Warriors getting desperate for a win.
Draymond Green's absence will be heavily felt by the Warriors, especially on the defensive end of the floor, but with Jordan Poole's insertion into the starting five, Golden State should have more offensive firepower than usual early in the game at least.
Through two games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Poole has averaged 10.5 points on just 29.4 percent shooting from the floor and 25.0 percent from behind the arc, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 18.6 minutes.
The Warriors lost the first two games of the series on the road, where they have been known to struggle so much this season. This time around, they are hoping that being at Chase Center will help them overcome Sacramento, even without Draymond Green.
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