Warriors not expecting David Lee back until at least Dec. 2

The way the Golden State Warriors have been updating David Lee's status, it feels as if he's day-to-day a week in advance.

The Warriors don't yet have a clear idea when their power forward may return from the left hamstring strain that has kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 5 and limited him to just seven minutes of action on the season. There was earlier optimism he could return on the team's current road trip, but head coach Steve Kerr is now calling that an unlikely outcome.

If Lee won't return until after the trip, that means his earliest appearance would come on Dec. 2, when the team returns home to host the Orlando Magic.

In Lee's absence, the Warriors have more than stayed afloat at 10-2. Their defense is the league's best, but their 12th-ranked offense could use his interior scoring and playmaking from the elbow. They'll also need him for general frontcourt depth if the orbital bone injury Andrew Bogut suffered on Sunday turns out to be serious.

Draymond Green has been starting at power forward with Lee sidelined, and his emergence as a defensive stopper could keep him in that role when Lee returns. With Green on the floor, the Warriors have outscored opponents by 17.6 points per-100 possessions. Marreese Speights has also used Lee's absence as an opportunity to carve out more run, averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just 14.5 minutes.