Warriors center Zaza Pachulia has been sidelined for three games with a mysterious wrist injury sustained at some point in Golden State’s victory over the Utah Jazz on December 8. An MRI on Thursday provided some clarity as to what exactly is going on with the wrist, but not when Pachulia might be ready to return to the lineup.
Warriors center Zaza Pachulia’s MRI on right wrist showed deep bruise, no fracture, sources tell The Vertical. No definitive return time.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2016
After a shaky start to the season, Pachulia has fit in well with Golden State, embracing his skills as a gifted passer from the high post, something that Andrew Bogut did so well in previous seasons.
The injury could be seem as a blessing for the Warriors, however, from the standpoint that it will allow them to give extended runs to the other five centers on the roster, and also give Javale McGee a chance to prove he can do enough to possibly replace Pachulia in the starting lineup.
Kerr has elected to start a different center in each of the three games since Pachulia’s absence alternating between McGee, Anderson Varejao and Kevon Looney. McGee was the most productive of the three, with nine points and five rebounds in 16 minutes in the Warriors’ 113-109 victory over New Orleans.
