Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It exists: A Warriors injury update that doesn’t involve them circling the drain faster.
There are real, legitimate, actual positive updates on three of Golden State’s walking wounded, Kevon Looney, Alen Smailagic and Jacob Evans, all three of whom are moving closer to their season debuts/returns.
Looney, the center/power forward who played 10 minutes in the Oct. 24 season-opener and not since with a neuropathic condition, has been cleared to begin “accelerated on-court basketball activities,” the team said in a statement Tuesday. With the Warriors on the road, the 23-year-old will practice with Santa Cruz and then will rejoin the Warriors this weekend, with another update due Sunday.
Smailagic, who played last season for Santa Cruz and whom the Warriors acquired on draft day, has yet to debut with a sprained right ankle. He also will begin practicing with Santa Cruz and will link back up with the team this weekend. The 19-year-old from Serbia missed all of training camp with the ankle sprain and figures to need some time to run with his teammates.
Evans, the second-year guard, is “making progress,” the team’s statement said after he was evaluated Tuesday. He’ll be reevaluated again in two weeks. He hasn’t played since Oct. 28, when he suffered a strained left adductor.