Golden State Warriors: 4 players whose minutes may be impacted by Draymond Green's return
![Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors - Game Five Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors - Game Five](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4909,h_2761,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/41/01hg9ppe5bnb7jmee5m5.jpg)
Veteran forward Draymond Green will return to the Golden State Warriors' lineup on Tuesday night, providing a much needed boost for the team's final In-Season Tournament group game against the Sacramento Kings.
Green has missed the last five games due to his chokehold on Minnesota Timberwolves' center Rudy Gobert, with the Warriors having gone 2-4 if you include the subsequent ejection within the first two minutes of that Minnesota game.
Head coach Steve Kerr will have more rotation decisions to make with Draymond Green's return to the Golden State Warriors.
While Golden State's starting lineup has been underwhelming, they've actually proven to have a fairly deep roster so far this season. Green's return will chew into a number of players minutes, with Kerr left with some questions on which lineups will prove most effective.
Here are four players whose minutes are expected to be impacted by Green's return:
1. Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins has played 30+ minutes in a game just twice this season, both of which have come across the last four outings with Green absent. With a deep roster and bench players pushing for more minutes, Green's return could mean Wiggins is relied upon less.
The biggest question may be regarding the closing lineup -- Wiggins wasn't a part of it for much of the early portion of the season, though had been more prominent with Green out. His form has been on the improve over recent games and his shooting is on the rise, but that doesn't mean he's a guarantee to be playing 28+ minutes.
2. Trayce Jackson-Davis
Including the game Green got ejected, Jackson-Davis has played in five of the last six games. The 23-year-old hasn't done anything wrong, but the reality is that there's only so many guys Kerr can play. Jackson-Davis' assignment to the G League may be an indication of the franchise's plan with their second-round pick.
Q3: #SeaDubs 78 | Clippers 95
— Santa Cruz Warriors (@GLeagueWarriors) November 27, 2023
.@Effort_les assist to @TrayceJackson DUNK! 💥 pic.twitter.com/Ie7VrABuos
3. Kevon Looney
Looney's minutes actually went down a little in Green's absence, aside from the overtime game against the Oklahoma City Thunder where he played nearly 35. It's worth recalling that in the Timberwolves game where the incident took place, Looney was actually benched in favor of Dario Saric in the starting lineup.
Saric has developed into one of the best and most in-form players on the team -- he's scored at least 17 points in four of the last six games. As a result, expect to see more frontcourt minutes for the Saric/Green combination than the Green/Looney duo.
4. Brandin Podziemski
The other Warrior rookie could also feel the impact of Green's return, even if he's a guard as opposed to a forward/big. Green's absence left a ball-handling/playmaking void, one that Podziemski was able come in and fill with aplomb. The 20-year-old still deserves some minutes, so it'll be interesting to see how Kerr can make that happen within different lineups.