Hunter struggles to earn consistent playing time

Ronny Turiaf has a sprained right ankle, Vladimir Radmanovic isn't sure when he'll return from a sore right Achilles, Anthony Randolph is out for at least the next two months with torn ligaments in his right ankle and Andris Biedrins has been inconsistent.

All of which still doesn't guarantee Warriors center Chris Hunter much playing time.

"I have a love-hate relationship with him, he's been good and bad and never ordinary," Golden State coach Don Nelson said before Friday's game against Milwaukee. "But I guess when you play inconsistently, you play inconsistently.

"He's had good games, you know, and I like him very much and I think he could be a good NBA player, but he'll (also) let his guard down and not play very well."

Hunter, who signed with Golden State on Nov. 20, Hunter played 11 scoreless minutes and finished with five rebounds before he fouled out with 5:16 to go in the third quarter Friday.

Before Friday's game, he didn't play in five of the previous 10 games and averaged less than six minutes in the other five. In those five games, he was a combined 2-for-8 from the field with five rebounds.

"You just have to keep plugging, keep doing your work on the off-days and during practice," Hunter said. "It hasn't been too difficult. ... I'm just continuing to work to give the coaching staff the confidence to put me in there."

Radmanovic played just over 12 minutes in Wednesday's game against Miami but simply couldn't go any longer on his bothersome Achilles. He doesn't have a timetable for returning to the court, and it might be too optimistic to say he'll be back for Monday's game against Chicago.

"There's a lot of frustration. Not only because of me, but the team. Losing players game in and game out," Radmanovic said. "Now me being one of them, it frustrating but it's part of the game. Hopefully it'll stop at some point." Randolph was back in the Warriors locker room before the game, on crutches and wearing a boot on his right foot.

Guard C.J. Watson said it'll probably be a week or two before he's able to return to the court.

Watson suffered a laceration on his right hand Wednesday when he put a hand up to defend a shot by Heat guard Dwyane Wade, whose fingernail caught Watson's palm.

Watson has to guard against the painful cut becoming infected and said he might need a tetanus shot. Right now, he said he can't dribble or shoot, or even write with his right hand.

In the locker room, Watson used his left hand to write the name of the person who was to receive his game tickets.

— Curtis Pashelka