The Golden State Warriors have received a major injury update ahead of Tuesday night’s road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the news is not encouraging for a team already battling significant absences.
Stephen Curry remains sidelined with a knee injury, while newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis is out with an illness. On top of that, three more key rotation players are listed as questionable: Draymond Green (lower back soreness), Al Horford (toe), and De’Anthony Melton (knee).
Just two days ago, the Warriors pulled off an impressive 128-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets without Curry, Porzingis, or Green. Now they head into New Orleans potentially even thinner on the roster, setting up a critical test of their depth during a demanding back-to-back.
What the Injury Report Means
Draymond Green missed Sunday’s win with lower back soreness and his availability for Tuesday remains uncertain. The Warriors have been extremely cautious with the veteran all season, mindful of his age and the long road still ahead.
Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are both being managed for minor issues — Horford with a toe problem and Melton with knee soreness. Importantly, neither player has appeared in both games of a back-to-back this season, which complicates head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation planning for the Pelicans (Tuesday) and Memphis Grizzlies (Wednesday).
Kerr faces a clear strategic choice: rest both Horford and Melton on Tuesday and save them for Wednesday, or stagger their minutes so one plays each night. The decision carries extra weight because the Warriors simply cannot afford to drop both games if they want to protect their playoff positioning.
Horford was outstanding in Sunday’s victory, posting 22 points (including six made threes) and seven assists. At his age, that performance made NBA history as the oldest player ever to record at least 20 points and six three-pointers in a single game. Golden State desperately needs that veteran production for at least one of these upcoming contests.
Melton, meanwhile, brings crucial defensive intensity off the bench. Averaging 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds this season, his ability to harass opposing guards and wings becomes even more valuable with Curry and Green unavailable.
How the Warriors Are Handling This Stretch
Despite the constant injury cloud, the Warriors sit at 30-27 and hold the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They have already overcome a season full of absences — Curry has missed 18 games, Jimmy Butler is lost for the year with a torn ACL, Green has dealt with multiple nagging issues, and Porzingis is still working his way back after debuting earlier this month.
Moses Moody has been a revelation over the last six weeks, stepping up as a primary scoring option. The supporting cast has shown real resilience, and veterans like Horford and Melton have provided stability whenever they’ve been healthy.
Still, there is a limit to how short-handed the Warriors can be and still win consistently. Tuesday’s game in New Orleans against a 16-42 Pelicans team that sits near the bottom of the West should be winnable — but nothing is guaranteed when five rotation players could be unavailable.
Final Word
The Warriors’ injury report for Tuesday night is a tough one: Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis are officially out, while Draymond Green, Al Horford, and De’Anthony Melton are all questionable. Given the back-to-back schedule and the fact that Horford and Melton have yet to play both ends of one this season, expect the team to stagger their availability across the next two games. Green’s lower back issue adds even more uncertainty.
Sunday’s win over the Nuggets without three key pieces proved this group can still compete when others step up — Moody led with 23 points and Horford delivered a historic night. Now they’ll need that same collective effort in New Orleans.
The margin for error is razor-thin, but the Warriors have shown all season that they can find ways to win even when short-handed. Tuesday night will be another true test of that resilience.