There’s a big looming game on tap for second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls on the night of Nov. 12. In front of a national television audience on ESPN heading into the weekend, Donovan and the Bulls will take on head coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors.
The Bulls are tied with the Washington Wizards for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 8-3 following two wins over some big-time postseason contenders in the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks. And the Bulls are taking on the team with the best record in the Western Conference, with the Warriors sitting at 10-1.
But the Warriors could have one of their top players limited in this meeting with the Bulls on Nov. 12. Veteran forward Draymond Green is reportedly questionable for this game with a thigh contusion.
Chicago Bulls could be facing a Warriors team with a limited Draymond Green
Draymond Green (thigh contusion) is questionable for tomorrow's game against the Bulls.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) November 11, 2021
The three-time All-Star, three-time NBA Champion, two-time All-NBA Team selection, and 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year is off to a pretty good start for the Warriors this season. He’s still contributing a lot of value in ways that are more behind the scenes for the Warriors.
Green has averaged around eight points per game, eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. And he’s shot around 51 percent from the field, 30 percent from beyond the arc, and 53 percent from the free-throw line.
If Green is either missing or limited for the Warriors on this night, that will leave a big gap in the rotation at least at times for Kerr. Green is one of the most important pieces to this Warriors’ team as he leads them in rebounds per game, blocks and is second in defensive box plus/minus and total box plus/minus.
It will be decisive to see the number of minutes Kerr gives Green in this game. The Bulls are short second-year forward Patrick Williams, who could miss the rest of the regular season with a wrist injury. Following a COVID-19 diagnosis, star center Nikola Vucevic is also out for the Bulls in this game thanks to the league’s health and safety protocol.
This could be a really interesting game between the Bulls and Warriors, especially given each team’s injury reporting, heading into this game. Tip-off time between the Bulls and Warriors is set for 9 p.m. CT at the Chase Center in San Francisco.