Golden State forward Draymond Green will miss the Warriors’ Christmas Day game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
A right foot injury had already sidelined Green for the Warriors’ season opener, a blowout loss to the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday.
Green had missed all of training camp and the team’s pre-season games after testing positive for coronavirus. He practiced with the team on Wednesday, but hasn’t yet been cleared to play.
Rookie center James Wiseman, the second overall selection in the NBA draft, scored 19 points and pulled down six rebounds in an encouraging NBA debut for the Warriors on Tuesday.
But the Warriors clearly could have done with the veteran leadership of Green in the 125-99 loss to the Nets.
Wiseman got the start in his first NBA game, but Kerr said he would continue to experiment with starting lineups.
“Everything is fluid right now, everything is a possibility,” Kerr said. “We don’t have a rotation, we don’t have a semblance of an identity.
“That’s what we’re trying to build. So, I think it’s important to reward guys now if they play well.”