Warriors facing Hawks with banged-up frontcourt

The Golden State Warriors have won four straight games, even with Steph Curry out. Monday night, they’ll turn up the difficulty by facing the Atlanta Hawks without Curry, or four members of their frontcourt.

Andrew Wiggins has missed a full month, first with an adductor strain and then an illness. It sounds as if his conditioning hasn’t quite returned after weeks of an inactivity, and the Warriors want to get him more practice time.

Green has been out since December 18, missing the team’s last six games. First, he was in the health and safety protocols, but now he’s developed an infection in his lower right leg. That’s a worrisome condition, as infections can really linger. Warriors fans saw that when David Lee got a career-threatening infection from getting Wilson Chandler’s tooth stuck in his elbow.

If doctors can get the infection to respond to antibiotics, Green should be back soon, but infections are more unpredictable than Wilson Chandler’s dental bills.

Kuminga’s foot strain is a new addition to the injury report, as he played the final eight minutes of the Warriors’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers, including two big dunks in their game-closing 16-2 run.

Wiseman missed the Portland game after he rolled his ankle playing 3-on-3 in practice, and he’s not healthy enough to play. It’s a shame, because this could be a perfect time for him to get NBA minutes, when there’s no center available besides Kevon Looney. It does mean opportunity for Patrick Baldwin Jr., who was shuttled back up Highway 17 from Santa Cruz as insurance Friday night, but didn’t get into the game. Without Kuminga, he’ll have a chance to build on his double-digit scoring performances in his last two games.

Some of these injuries look like they may be minor, but Steve Kerr thought Wiggins’ injury was no big deal a month ago. Let’s hope Kevon Looney and Draymond Green don’t go ice skating, climb ladders, or get bitten by Wilson Chandler anytime soon.