The Golden State Warriors have had guys in and out of the lineup all season due to injury, and their game of musical players continued on Saturday night against the Orlando Magic.
The Warriors got two key contributors back for their 115-101 loss to Orlando in Andre Iguodala and Andrew Wiggins. Iguodala made his season debut in the game, while Wiggins played in his first game in over a month after missing the previous 15 contests due to an adductor injury and then an illness. But while those players entered the lineup, another exited.
Klay Thompson was ruled out of the game shortly before tipoff due to left knee soreness. The news was concerning given that the left knee is the knee in which Thompson suffered a torn ACL in 2019. The issues doesn't seem too serious however. After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr called the move to sit Thompson "precautionary" after Thompson felt some soreness during warmups. He added that he doesn't expect it to be a long-term issue.
It makes sense for the Warriors to err on the side of caution when it comes to Thompson, as they obviously want to keep him healthy for what they hope will be another deep playoff run. Thompson has been largely healthy on the season so far, as he's started in 31 of Golden State's 40 games. Donte DiVincenzo took Thompson's spot in the starting lineup Saturday night.
Prior to missing the game against Orlando, Thompson had been on a hot streak. He scored over 30 points in each of his previous three games, highlighted by a 54-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 2. On the season he's averaging 20.6 points 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per performance while shooting 38 percent from long range. His status moving forward will now be something to monitor.
The good news for the Warriors is that their other star guard, Steph Curry, is expected to return to game action next week. Curry has been sidelined since mid-December with a shoulder injury, and his return will provide a big boost for a Warriors team that has managed to stay right in the thick of the playoff picture in the Western Conference despite his absence.
