Despite reduced output this season, Draymond Green remains a key player for the Golden State Warriors. The 35-year-old has missed just seven games, mainly due to a lower leg issue. Before the Miami Heat game, head coach Steve Kerr and the medical staff mutually agreed that it was important for the former DPOY to rest today.

“I got a call from Rick [Celebrini] today that it’s been bothering him the last couple of games,” Kerr said of the veteran’s health. “It just kind of got worse yesterday on the off day. With the B2B, Rick thinks he’ll be ready to go tomorrow, but didn’t want to risk it.”

Kerr was referring to the director of sports medicine and performance’s advice on Green’s right ankle, but they expect him to return against the Toronto Raptors. It’s only the second game he has missed this month; the first was against the Oklahoma City Thunder, due to rest, while Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were also out with injuries.

Before that, Green missed three games in December against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors had listed Green with a right mid-foot sprain. They were taking the precautionary route. These missed games were right after the Philadelphia 76ers’ Dominick Barlow landed on his foot. It didn’t help that he already had an issue from Donovan Clingan falling on the same foot in November.

Steve Kerr has been treading cautiously after Green’s honest assessment of his health.

“I was a little beat up after that [Clippers] game, so that was a few days’ process of actually hammering away at different things,” Green said last week, describing the grueling journey in the NBA. “Even on the off days, I was here for a couple of hours. Then after the game, I sprinted it out, because it just felt like I was in the casino or jail or something, like the walls were closing in on me. You feel it.”

Apart from Green (ankle), Kerr will also be without Gui Santos (ankle) and De’Anthony Melton (injury management) against the Heat. As the coach manages injury issues on the Warriors roster, it gives him a newfound appreciation for the team’s superstar, Curry, after another All-Star selection.

Steve Kerr puts Stephen Curry on a higher pedestal

The Baby-Faced Assassin will appear in the All-Star Game for the 12th time in his career. The upcoming edition will be his 11th All-Star start. Stephen Curry now joins an exclusive group of just 17 players in NBA history to reach 12 All-Star selections while staying with a single franchise. That list includes Michael Jordan (12), Larry Bird (12), Kobe Bryant (18), and Dirk Nowitzki (14), among others.

“I’m thrilled for Steph, it’s a huge honor,” Kerr said. “I was thinking about it today. I can’t think of anybody that age playing better. I know Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) played well late in his career, and obviously LeBron (James).

The follow-up question to Kerr was about any guards he remembered being durable.

“I mean, nobody came to mind when I was thinking about it today, but I only thought about it for like five seconds,” Kerr replied.

It was enough to appreciate Curry’s longevity, who continues to produce at the highest level.

In year 17, Curry is averaging 27.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds while ranking second in the league with 149 made three-pointers. The fans showered him with love and plenty of votes (2,817,562), finishing behind only Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.