The Golden State Warriors will be without Jonathan Kuminga again on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans, with rising concern on the young forward and his knee tendinitis.
There's no expectation that Kuminga's injury will be a long-term problem, but it's clearly less than ideal after leaving Wednesday's win over the San Antonio Spurs at half-time. The young forward was benched in the same game after starting the first 12 games of the season, with his current knee issue only adding to some complications on his role with the Warriors going forward.
Jonathan Kuminga and Zion Williamson headline Warriors vs. Pelicans injury report
Kuminga is the only player on the injury report for Golden State outside of veteran guard De'Anthony Melton who is yet to make his season debut as he recovers from a torn ACL. The Warriors have resisted the urge to rest any of their veteran players for the fourth of their six-game road-trip, having come off a thrilling 109-108 victory over the Spurs on Friday where Stephen Curry exploded for nine threes and 49 points.
While Golden State might be relatively healthy for Sunday's game, the same can't be said for New Orleans who will remain without notable guards Dejounte Murray and former Warrior Jordan Poole. Murray is still recovering from the achilles tear he suffered last season, while Poole -- who was benched after his first three appearances with the Pelicans -- will now miss his sixth-straight game with a left quad strain.
It's better news for New Orleans in regard to star forward Zion Williamson who has been upgraded to questionable after missing the last six games due to a hamstring injury. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the first five games of the season before his most recent absence.
The Warriors may not be seeing Poole for the first time in a Pelicans jersey, but they will be facing franchise legend Kevon Looney who will meet his former team for the first time since departing on a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency.
Looney has started six of his first seven appearances for his new team after missing the start of the season through injury, yet is averaging just 14.1 minutes where he's posting 2.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
The Warriors will be looking to build off the momentum sparked by Curry's pair of extraordinary performances in San Antonio, with a win pushing them to 9-6 on the season and a solidified spot in the top eight of the Western Conference.
The Pelicans meanwhile will be looking for a response after firing head coach Willie Green on Saturday, having been left with little choice after a 2-10 start to the season following a 21-61 record the year prior.