Last season was magical for the Golden State Warriors. Their season-long chokehold on the league ended with 83 total wins and an NBA title. Thompson and Draymond Green both made strides throughout the year, playing a duel Robin role to Stephen Curry throughout the season.
But, if either Thompson or Green were to go down next season (don’t worry, I knocked on wood), which injury would cost the Warriors more? Let’s take a look.
In the 2013-2014 season, Green played a mere 21.9 minutes per game, limiting him to 6.2 points and five rebounds per game. Last season, a slimmed down Green was inserted into the starting lineup when David Lee injured his hamstring in training camp, and immediately produced on the court.
Jun 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after he scored during overtime against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
He averaged 31.5 minutes, 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, with a 16.4 PER. Green was essential to what the Warriors liked to do on both sides of the ball. On the defensive end, the Warriors love to switch. Green made life easy on his team by being able to guard smaller guards in the perimeter. With Green posting a 97.18 defensive rating (fourth in the league per ESPN.com), Golden State was extremely fortunate with their 4 being elite defensively and their center, Andrew Bogut (who posted a 96.76 defensive rating, good for 2nd in the league), being one of the better rim protectors in the league when healthy.
Green’s lateral quickness and long arms disrupted passing lanes for guards, and he used his strength and size to keep from getting beat off the dribble. And when the Warriors went small, he could guard big post players such as Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis like he did in the playoffs. Take a look at how Green is able to stay in front of guards, and bang with the big fellas down low.
Thompson, however, is a good defender in his own right. In past seasons, Mark Jackson would put Thompson on certain point guards like Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul, and you even saw Steve Kerr match Thompson up on Kyrie Irving in the finals.
Thompson is long, has underrated athleticism, and is a smart defender, and having the seven-foot Aussie protecting the rim behind him probably does wonders for his confidence defensively. Although Thompson isn’t the elite defender that Green is, Thompson is obviously more skilled on the offensive end. He has an offensive arsenal that includes post-ups, a recently developed ability to drive to the basket, and of course his ability to make it rain from deep.
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Although Green is somewhat limited on the offensive end, his ability to get a rebound on the defensive end and push the ball up the court on a fastbreak is a luxury most teams don’t have. With Green pushing the ball, it allows Curry, Thompson or Harrison Barnes to sneak away from a retreating defense and get open threes.
Although Thompson is better than Green skillwise, it’s clear that Green is more important to Golden State’s success. Green’s ability to play small ball center is one of the main reasons they won the championship in 2015. If Thompson went down, the coaching staff would have a plethora of wings to plug into Thompson’s place, and although the Warriors might score a bit less due to the fact that teams would be able to throw more attention on Curry, the Warriors would probably be fine.
Both these players still need to make some improvements in their game; Green needs to be a more consistent shooter and Klay needs to put up Harden-like rebound numbers, get to the line more and be overall more consistent.
Let’s see if both of these men can take the next step in 2016.