10-0! When it comes to matchups between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, the former holds a better record in the recent ones. The last time that the Rockets won against Stephen Curry and Co. was way back in February 2020! However, these stats may soon change. The Warriors are currently in the midst of a 5-game loss streak. The only thing that can save the Bay Area squad is if they give their best, and play with the same determination that helped them secure the wins in the other 10 games. However, it will be hard without two of the team’s best players.

According to the Golden State Warriors Injury Report, both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are ‘OUT’ for the upcoming game. To worsen the situation, the duo isn’t the only one listed. Andrew Wiggins is also present under a ‘Day-To-Day’ status. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton, who last played back in mid-November, won’t return to the court again for the foreseeable future owing to the surgery he underwent for an ACL Sprain. Also, signed under a two-way contract, Quinten Post’s G-League obligations will keep him out of the matchup, too.

Stephen Curry was sidelined for two games, only a few weeks ago after sustaining an ankle injury. Since the early stages of his NBA career, the All-Time Three-Point Leader has been dealing with some form of ailment in that part of his body. However, the bilateral knee ailment that he developed recently was certainly new! Therefore, in order to not take a risk, Curry is set to miss his 2nd game over the last 4. The timing couldn’t be more unfortunate, as Draymond Green himself does not want to take a risk with his calf injury. Addressing the same during an episode of ‘The Draymond Green Show’, the power forward stated “I’ll be 100 percent honest, I’m a little afraid. But in saying that, I have confidence in our staff.”

Andrew Wiggins has been consistent in his appearances, having played in 18 of this team’s 19 games this season. However, that may change now that the team lists the player as ‘Questionable’ due to his right ankle impingement. With both Curry and Green out, the Warriors may have to emphasize defense against the Houston Rockets. Therefore, it doesn’t help that one of the Bay Area’s most efficient wing defenders will be absent, or will be presumably be going through some form of physical limitation.

Moving on to the Houston Rockets, they aren’t in as much of a precarious position as the Warriors. After all, they only have one player, Tari Eason, listed as ‘OUT’. Fred VanVleet, the other player on the report, holds the ‘Day-To-Day’ status, with his availability being ‘Questionable’. Eason securing a double-double (16 points and 12 rebounds) during the win against the Sacramento Kings came at a price. After all, it was the same game in which he sustained a concussion. VanVleet being away from the lineup, because of his right knee contusion, can leave a gap on the offensive front.

In light of these updates, both teams will be going into the matchup with adjusted lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Warriors-Rockets clash look like?

To cover for Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Lindy Waters might play on the court with increased minutes. Having averaged 8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over 19 games, Podziemski alone would not be enough to cover the gap left by Curry. Therefore, extra efforts from the trio would be needed to make a dent in the scoring effort. Being the backup power forward, Jonathan Kuminga will an increase in his minutes too, in order to cover for Draymond Green.

With this update, the Golden State Warriors will have a starting lineup that looks like this:

Similarly, looking at the updates for the Houston Rockets, analysts expect the franchise’s starting lineup to look something like this:

The Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming matchup? Let us know in the comments down below.