Warriors lead concerning NBA stat before facing OKC Thunder

A lot of juice has spilled from the matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.

In what could’ve been viewed as a barometer game for the Warriors, it turned out to be an opportunity for some non-rotational Warriors to get some burn. 

As Golden State’s injury report is suddenly crowded, the Warriors are going to be very shorthanded on Friday at home. In fact, the Warriors are leading the NBA in a concerning statistic as a result of all of their absences.

A Lot of Money on the Bench

According to HoopsHype, the Warriors have $145 million worth of salary stashed on the bench for Friday’s action against OKC. That leads the league…. By a lot.

Coming in second is the Denver Nuggets. They have $115 million sidelined. Recently, the Nuggets lost their star center, Nikola Jokic, for a month due to a knee injury. 

The Portland Trail Blazers are the only other team with over $100 million sidelined. That marks over 60 percent of the salary for their team.

Who Will Miss Friday’s Action for the Warriors?

The Warriors didn’t expect to lose Jimmy Butler for Friday’s game, but an illness has popped up for the star veteran. He was downgraded to questionable hours before the matchup, but the Warriors made an early call on his status, confirming he wouldn’t play. 

Meanwhile, the superstar guard Stephen Curry is battling a minor left ankle sprain. While Curry has had his fair share of nagging issues throughout the year, this setback isn’t expected to be serious. 

Seth Curry, De’Anthony Melton, and Draymond Green were all ruled out. Green is the only player not dealing with a setback. The Warriors are giving him a night of rest. Meanwhile, Trayce Jackson-Davis is now available, while Al Horford is considered probable to play. 

Taking down the 29-5 Thunder was always going to be a tall task for the Warriors, but it will be more challenging now that a large chunk of the team is out.