When the Warriors travel to Los Angeles on Monday night, there’s a decent chance the team looks more like its Santa Cruz G-League affiliate than it does the world champions who hail from Oakland.
On Sunday afternoon, Golden State announced four of its top players will miss the team’s showdown with the Lakers as Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia and Shaun Livingston will all be sidelined. Curry is still nursing an ankle injury he suffered in early December against the Pelicans, while Green and Pachulia are each nursing lingering shoulder injuries that have been nagging them for a few weeks. Livingston’s injury is a knee issue, and it’s unclear how serious the backup point guard’s injury is.
With four players, including three starters, scheduled to sit on Monday, the Warriors are recalling guard Quinn Cook and center Damian Jones from their G-League affiliate.
On Sunday, fourth-year Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr told reporters the team is as banged up as it has been since his arrival. Still, the Warriors did receive some positive news over the weekend, as guard Nick Young has been cleared to play after suffering a concussion earlier this week. The former Laker spent four seasons in Los Angeles, and should receive meaningful minutes on the same night Kobe Bryant will have both of his numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, retired at Staples Center.