Warriors hope Draymond Green’s injury is minor

DENVER — Draymond Green emerged as a surprise late scratch shortly before tipoff of Thursday’s game against the Nuggets as he dealt with tightness in his right calf.

The move to pull Green from the lineup came shortly after coach Steve Kerr said he anticipated Green to play after the Warriors star was listed as questionable with right foot soreness on the team’s injury report.

Green, who turns 33 next month, went through his pregame warmup but experienced tightness in his calf. After further evaluation, the Warriors medical staff decided to keep him on the bench in street clothes.

After the 134-117 loss, Kerr said the Warriors are hoping the injury isn’t something that will persist into a long-term issue.

“The belief is that it’s something minor,” Kerr said. “But obviously he’s getting it check out” when the team returns to the Bay.

The calf injury raised concern for those who monitored the team last season because Green suffered a similar injury that turned out to be more severe than initially believed.

Green felt discomfort in his left calf while warming up for a Warriors game on Jan. 9, 2022 — perhaps better remembered as the day Klay Thompson returned to the floor. Green started the game so he could be part of the big moment but exited it after seven seconds. He wouldn’t play again until March 14, 2022.

The Warriors initially were under the assumption back in January 2022 that Green’s injury would be a “short-term thing.” It was later revealed that the pain stemmed from a disc injury in his back, which led to him miss 29 consecutive games over about two months.

Golden State will return to action Saturday when they host the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center.

Green is averaging 7.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 46 games this season.