Warriors Injury Report – Updates on Andre Iguodala, Marcus Smart, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul Millsap, and Wise
In a nutshell, the latest Warriors injury report reveals that Iguodala has been ruled out for Game 5 and Porter Jr. is questionable. Paul Millsap remains out and Cousins is out, but he hasn’t played in the NBA since April. In a related piece, Wiseman’s knee is swollen and he hasn’t played since being shut down due to swelling.
Iguodala ruled out for Game 5
The Warriors have been dealing with injuries all season long, but there’s no reason to think that Andre Iguodala can’t make the playoffs. The two-time All-Star has been limited to just six minutes per game this season and is questionable for Game 5. The Warriors’ injury report has also left questions hanging over Marcus Smart’s status. He suffered a scary fall during a regular season game, and head coach Steve Kerr said he’ll be tough to play with him in such a critical game.
Porter Jr. questionable
While many have doubted that Porter Jr. will play in Game 1, the Warriors are 3-0 against the Mavs and can win the series. The Warriors have a slim cushion of two games, so they will likely not rush Porter back. Instead, they will use a rotation of players to help with the offense. Porter’s absence means that Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonas Valanciunas will see significant minutes for the Warriors.
Nunn still out
There’s been some discussion about Devin Nunn’s status on the Warriors injury report. The forward suffered a setback in mid-January that will likely keep him out of the regular season. While he did play in preseason action, Nunn did not play a regular season game this season. The Warriors are still waiting to see how severe Nunn’s injury is and how much time he will need to recover.
Cousins underwent MRI
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins underwent an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of his quadriceps injury. The injury was sustained during the first quarter of the team’s Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Cousins was chasing a loose ball on the front court, and he fell down. Despite not colliding with any other players, Cousins went down hard and landed on his left quadriceps. The injury was not a result of a previous Achilles injury, but it is a sign of a more serious injury.
Curry’s foot is healing well
Stephen Curry’s injury to his left foot has kept him out of action for almost a month. He hasn’t played since March 16 and missed the final two weeks of the regular season. He hasn’t played in over a month, either, and his absence has put the Warriors in a race against time to win the title. Now that Curry’s foot is healing, the Warriors can’t afford to wait another moment longer to get him back.
Green’s lower back contusion
The Warriors released their latest injury report on Draymond Green’s lower back contusion on Monday. Green is expected to miss the All-Star break, which runs Feb. 18-24. He recently re-examined his injury and is expected to be evaluated again by Feb. 18. That will give him two weeks to return to the court. Green has missed 13 games since being injured with a left disc. He was a late scratch in Klay Thompson’s return and missed his team’s grand re-emergence against the Kings.
Cousins out for series with Celtics
DeMarcus Cousins has suffered a torn Achilles and will be out at least part of the season. The Boston Celtics had a number of opportunities to trade for Cousins in recent seasons, but decided against it. While he offers enough talent for mid-level money, the Celtics are not sure whether he will be able to play at full strength next season.
Durant’s absence affecting Warriors’ offense
If Kevin Durant isn’t playing, how is that affecting the Warriors’ offense? The absence of Kevin Durant has a direct impact on the Warriors’ offense, because he has not been able to elevate his teammates the way Stephen Curry does. Without Curry, the Warriors have a harder time creating offense, and their offense has become stagnant. The Warriors average just 100.6 possessions per 48 minutes when Durant isn’t on the floor.