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Stephen Curry, Draymond Green Among 6 Warriors Not Traveling to Raptors Game

Tim Daniels@@TimDanielsBRFeatured Columnist IVDecember 18, 2021

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 11: Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on December 11, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors will be significantly shorthanded for Saturday night's road game against the Toronto Raptors, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green among the absences. 

Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Jordan Poole will also miss the contest. Anthony Slater of The Athletic provided the Dubs' full injury report:

Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater

Out for the Warriors against the Raptors tomorrow<br>-Steph Curry - rest<br>-Andrew Wiggins - left knee soreness <br>-Andre Iguodala - right knee management <br>-Draymond Green - Right hip tightness <br>-Otto Porter - Left foot management<br>-Jordan Poole: health and safety protocols.

All of those players besides Poole, who must clear the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols before his return, played in Friday's 111-107 win over the Boston Celtics.

Saturday's game in Toronto marks both a back-to-back situation and final stop on a five-game road trip to the East Coast for the Warriors, two likely factors in the high number of players sidelined.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr explained beating the Celtics gave his team a little more flexibility as it prepared to face the Raptors.

"It felt like a really good win," Kerr told reporters. "Just knowing we got to play [Saturday] and on a five-game trip, guaranteeing us at least three wins, it makes this a great trip and now [Saturday] is a little more of a free swing and we'll see what happens."

Last December, the NBA updated its resting policies to give teams more roster freedom when not playing on national television—Saturday's game between the Warriors and Raptors will only be on local affiliates.

The league's memo noted that barring "unusual circumstances" teams shouldn't rest more than one player per game and should try not to rest players in road games. Technically, Curry is the only Warrior out specifically for rest reasons Saturday, but the team's decision to sit out so many key players in the same game may still draw the NBA's ire.

Golden State will be without its four leading scorers, its No. 6 scorer in Porter and one of its top defenders in Iguodala.

The makeshift lineup's leading scorer will be Damion Lee (7.8 PPG).

After Saturday's game, the Warriors travel back home to California and are back in action Monday night when they host the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center.