San Francisco, CA - Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will be sidelined for the team's season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, according to ESPN.com. Green is still in the process of recovering from a left lateral ankle sprain that he sustained during a pickup game three days before the start of training camp.

Since the injury, Green has been gradually increasing his on-court activities. He began with light on-court work a week ago, progressed to 3-on-3 work on Friday, and ultimately participated in 5-on-5 on Sunday. Although he took part in practice and a controlled scrimmage on Monday, the team has decided not to clear him for the game.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism about Green's progress, stating, "He's doing really well, but we don't feel like it would be wise to throw him out with so little scrimmage time on the floor. We'll reassess as the days go."

This marks only the second time in Green's 12-year NBA career that he will miss opening night, with the last absence occurring in the 2020-21 season opener due to right foot soreness. Kerr did not disclose who will start in place of Green for Tuesday's game, as he has been experimenting with different starting lineups throughout the team's five preseason games. Chris Paul, when he is on the active roster, has been a consistent starter during the preseason.

Although Kerr believes the Warriors have enough talent to manage without Green, he acknowledges that his absence will affect the team to some extent. "I have a clear vision of our team this year, and it will not be on display tomorrow night because we are not where we need to be," Kerr admitted. "We're going to be way better in a month or two, but that doesn't mean we can't get off to a good start... play well over the next couple of weeks as we're fitting Draymond back in."

The Warriors' second game of the season is scheduled for Friday in Sacramento, and it remains to be seen if Green will be ready to make his return at that time. As the team navigates through his absence, they will be focused on establishing a strong foundation and adjusting their strategies to accommodate his eventual comeback.