Golden State Warriors: Zaza Pachulia out with shoulder injury
Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia will be out for at least a week with a strained rotator cuff.
The Golden State Warriors have been getting production out of their center position recently. Just the amount of production they have been given from Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee have really helped contribute to the team playing their best basketball of the season. There is some unfortunate news however, as they could be without Pachulia for a week or more.
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On Wednesday, Pachulia told reporters that he suffered a right rotator cuff strain and would be out at least a week. That means that McGee and others such as Kevon Looney will get their opportunity to step up and aim to provide valuable minutes in his absence. The Warriors host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
A rotator cuff can turn into something serious and the Warriors have to err on the side of caution of this one. There’s no reason to risk playing Pachulia right now and giving him at least a week off seems like the plan of action here. If Golden State is able to keep it rolling and rack up wins during his absence, it may make sense to just let him get healthy through the All-Star Break.
Injury update: Zaza Pachulia (right rotator cuff strain) is out. He will be re-evaluated in one week.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) February 1, 2017
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to him for when he decides he’s healthy enough to play again but giving him as much time as possible seems like the smart move here. The Warriors have guys that have shown they can step up in his absence.
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It’s one again going to be more valuable playing time for players that Golden State will count on to contribute meaningful minutes once the playoffs roll around. It may be a blessing in disguise as head coach Steve Kerr continues to get his guys minutes. It wouldn’t also be surprising to see the Warriors go small either and see how that works out in certain scenarios. Whatever the case may be in regards to what they end up doing, they’ll be without an effective player in their lineup for this week and potentially longer.