Draymond Green was a late scratch due to ankle soreness

The Golden State Warriors were getting all set to take on All-Star center Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat, without having a healthy center on their roster. And then the closest thing they had to a center, Draymond Green, was a late scratch.

The Warriors announced right before tip-off that Green would not play due to right ankle soreness. Mychal Mulder, a shooting guard, started in his place.

Green has nursed a few sorenesses this year, but this is the first game he’s missed since sitting out the first four games of the season while he recovered from the coronavirus. Since it’s just soreness, hopefully he’ll be good to go for Friday’s game. However, the Warriors have a Friday-Saturday back-to-back, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Green misses at least one of those games.

In losing Green, the Warriors lost not only the only remaining player on the roster who can competently play center, but also their best defender and playmaker. Green had been on a passing tear since the Warriors suffered their center injuries, racking up 86 assists in seven games since the Dubs were forced to play small ball.

Heal up, Dray.