Warriors’ Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala cleared to play

Warriors forwards Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala will be available for Friday night’s game against the Pelicans, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said.

It is a best-case-scenario development for a Warriors team trying to move past Tuesday’s season-opening loss to the Rockets. Facing one of the league’s most formidable frontcourts in DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, Golden State can use two of its best, most versatile defenders.

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Green was somewhat surprised that his knee injury ended up being so minor. Late in the third quarter of Tuesday’s 122-121 defeat, after getting fouled on a running jumper and landing awkwardly, Green worried that he might have torn the meniscus in his left knee. The next day, when he got treatment from the team trainer, Green started to feel much better. An MRI later revealed that he had no structural damage.

Iguodala, previously listed as probable, is set to make his season debut after missing last Friday’s preseason finale and Tuesday’s opener with a strained back.

Without Draymond Green in the fourth quarter Tuesday night in the opener, and with Andre Iguodala out for the game, the Warriors defense fell apart against Houston. The Rockets scored 34 points in the quarter and came from behind to beat a Warriors team that had been in control of the game up to that point. There was more to it than just Green’s balky knee, but without the Defensive Player of the Year they are not the same. The Warriors will want to wash the feeling of that opening night loss off them against Pelicans.

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