What Draymond’s likely absence vs. Nuggets means for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
DENVER – The last two players to leave the court after Warriors practice on Monday at Ball Arena were the two who didn’t see the floor in the second half of Saturday night’s loss to the Suns in Phoenix.
While Moses Moody was seen having an extended talk with coach Steve Kerr after practice, Kyle Anderson’s role could be amplified Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets due to unfortunate news for the Warriors. Draymond Green did not practice Monday because of left calf tightness, and the Warriors initially considered him questionable for the next day’s game.
Trying to snap a four-game losing streak, Kerr took Green’s status a step further after practice, making it clear he doesn’t expect him to play.
“I would call it doubtful,” Kerr said. “We got to be careful. … Doubtful tomorrow, we’ll see how it holds up.”
That changes the Warriors’ identity immensely, especially when trying to contain Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokić, who essentially does it all for his team offensively. The three-time NBA MVP leads the Nuggets in points per game (29.6), rebounds per game (13.2), assists per game (10.7) and is tied for the team lead in steals per game (1.5). Jokić also is second on the team in field-goal percentage (56.2 percent) and 3-point percentage (50.8 percentage).
There’s no stopping him, just the hope of containing him, which to a certain degree Anderson has done in the past.
Nobody on the Minnesota Timberwolves guarded Jokić more last season, not even four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Anderson spent slightly over 13 minutes guarding Jokić in four regular-season games, and Joker scored 35 points on 11-of-20 shooting but did commit three turnovers with only one assist.
By comparison, Green squared off against Jokić once last season for a total of seven minutes and 13 seconds. In that span, Jokić scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting and had six assists without a turnover, but only made one of his four 3-point attempts. Overall, Jokić wound up with a 32-point, 16-rebound, 16-assist triple-double in a 16-point win during the one matchup that Golden State had Green last season.
Anderson’s combination of length, at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and top-notch basketball IQ gives him the ability to disrupt Jokić at times, Kerr believes.
“He’s got long arms, he’s very strong and he’s got a big brain,” Kerr said of Anderson. “He’s smart – smart, smart, smart. Kyle just understands angles. He knows tendencies, he knows the scouting report, watches basketball and loves the game. He knows what people are trying to accomplish.
“Kyle is really good defensively.”
After whistling and shaking his head, Anderson divulged into the nearly impossible task it is trying to guard Jokić.
“He’s a nightmare down low on the block, on the elbow, rebounding the ball at 94 feet he can hit you with outlet passes that not too many in the league can make,” Anderson said. “He’s a nightmare once he steps on the floor from all areas, really.”
As Kerr navigates how to best use the Warriors’ deep rotation, Anderson is averaging only 15 minutes per game, his lowest since his third year in the NBA. But the 11-year veteran ranks second on the team in defensive rating at 100.9.
Anderson appreciates Kerr’s openness and honesty when it comes to his fluctuating minutes and role for his new team, shrugging his shoulders at any alternative of animosity.
“Steve just kind of let me know what was going on,” Anderson explained. “Some places you get buried and you don’t hear from the head coach, so just to hear from Steve, it meant a lot to me.”
Center Kevon Looney, who hasn’t started a game during the 2024-25 NBA season but did start the second half Saturday in Phoenix, has the top defensive rating on the Warriors (99.8). Looney also saw Jokić the most among all Warriors players last season, guarding him for 25 minutes. Jokić had 42 points and 13 assists but also turned the ball over four times and was 3 of 11 from deep.
Trayce Jackson-Davis has started every game at center thus far for the Warriors this season, and spent seven minutes on Jokić as a rookie last year. Jackson-Davis fouled Jokić five times, leading to 12 free-throw attempts, and the elder big man tallied 18 points – 10 being free throws – along with three assists but two turnovers.
“Really what we want to take away is his passing,” Jackson-Davis said. “Getting his assists, getting his teammates involved – we know he’s going to score. He’s taken a lot upon himself this year, especially to be a scorer, so if we can take away some of his guys and obviously double him, do what we need to do … it’s going to be a hard, physical game.”
The two traditional centers, Jackson-Davis and Looney, will see a lot of Jokić and likely will get the first crack at chopping the tree down. One game ago, it looked like Anderson could be out of the rotation.
Now, he just might be the antidote needed to slow Jokić down just enough for the Warriors to not lose their fifth straight game, as well as their eighth in a row when playing the Nuggets. Green’s likely absence will call for nothing short of a full team effort.
