The injuries keep piling up for the Golden State Warriors. After Stephen Curry suffered a broken hand on Wednesday that will keep sidelined for at least the next three months, Draymond Green suffered a ligament injury on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs.
That injury has now been confirmed as a torn ligament in Green’s left index finger, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. While Steve Kerr announced that Green will miss “the next few games,” it’s still not expected to be a long-term injury.
Steve Kerr said Draymond Green will miss the next few games, at least. Torn ligament in his left index finger. Not a long term absence, though.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 2, 2019
Green’s points per game and rebounds per game are up from last season, but he hasn’t been nearly impactful as he’s been in year’s past through the first five games.
The former Defensive Player of the Year is allowing a career-low 122.9 points per 100 possessions and posting a net rating of -21.6. He’s also at a 0.0 VORP, which is the first time he hasn’t performed much better than a replacement-level player since his rookie season. In every season besides those two, he’s posted a VORP higher than +2.
That might have something to do with the fact that he’s not playing the bulk of his minutes with the Splash Bros., Curry and Klay Thompson, this season. Yes, Green is a three-time All-Star, but his value stands out on a star-studded team where he doesn’t have to put up gaudy scoring numbers or be an elite one-on-one defender. It’s not unrealistic to assume that Green will continue to struggle upon his return from injury.
There is currently no official timetable for Green’s return.
