When the Golden State Warriors visit Barclays Center on Thursday to play the Brooklyn Nets, they will be looking to finish their five-game road trip on a high note.
The Warriors have a 3-1 road record thus far, which has propelled them into the top six of the Western Conference rankings following their thrilling victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
The Warriors will remain without Jonathan Kuminga on Thursday
With Jimmy Butler in the starting lineup, Golden State is already 9-1; yet, the six-time All-Star has yet to play with Jonathan Kuminga, a skilled forward who has been out due to a serious ankle injury.
The return date of Kuminga is still being postponed. Both sides of the trade deadline were considered as potential return dates for the 22-year-old after he injured himself against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4. After the All-Star break, that evolved into the present five-game road trip.
There is now anticipation that Kuminga will make a comeback during the forthcoming seven-game home stand, which starts on Saturday at Chase Center against the Detroit Pistons.
However, considering how slowly this schedule is moving along, we are at a point where we can’t really expect anything until a return date is guaranteed. In an interview with Willard and Dibs of 95.7 The Game on Wednesday, Steve Kerr made an effort to allay any worries that Kuminga had seen a setback in his recuperation, but he still did not offer that information.
“No setback. (Kuminga’s) injury itself was more serious than anybody realized…It does feel like he’s getting close,” Kerr said.
Kuminga has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Nets by the Warriors for the 29th consecutive time, which is turning into a very long stretch of time out of the starting lineup. Thankfully, Golden State has prospered since acquiring Butler prior to the trade deadline, in addition to surviving the storm.
The Warriors may be able to get back Gary Payton II, who was out for Tuesday’s game against the Knicks, while Kuminga is still out. The defensive-minded guard left the game in the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Hornets after colliding heads with LaMelo Ball; it was later confirmed that he suffered a nasal fracture. Payton will most likely play against the Nets.
With the exception of De’Anthony Melton, who tore his ACL while playing for Golden State early in the season, Brooklyn’s injury record is spotless, with Noah Clowney out. Despite their attempts to lose this season, the Nets are now in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, just 2.5 games from the Play-In Tournament.
The Warriors will be strong favorites going into the game because of the Nets’ 21-40 record, and they may have a chance to get even closer to the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.
