The Golden State Warriors absolutely deserve three All-Stars

The Warriors should have three representatives in Toronto next month.

The Golden State Warriors continued their historic run on Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers easily.

They were led by the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined for 53 points and 10 three-pointers. It is this kind of skill and effort that made these guys All-Stars last season and looking to reach that pinnacle once again this season. But the player that has received all the headlines lately has not been Curry or Thompson, but rather Draymond Green, who is having a spectacular season in his own right.

Green is averaging nearly a triple-double this season, scoring almost 15 points, grabbing over 9 rebounds and dishing out nearly 8 assists per game. He leads the league in triple-doubles with 7 this season and just went on a stretch where he had three straight triple-doubles, making him only the 15th player in NBA history to accomplish this feat. He might have made it four if the Warriors did not completely dismantle the Lakers in three quarters.

Draymond Green (11 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) is the 15th player in NBA history to record a triple-double in three-straight games
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) January 5, 2016

For a guy who was the worst shooter on the team when he came up as a rookie, he is now shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. As a rookie, he would be afraid to shoot the basketball because he was that bad from distance. Green has worked tirelessly on his jumper so he can be as confident as Curry or Thompson when they shoot the rock. His stats are off the charts but what makes Green an All-Star this season are his basketball I.Q. and defense.

Green’s knowledge of the game is unmatched by anyone on the Warriors because he knows at all times where everyone else should be on the floor on offense and defense. This is why Green can run the point and dish out so many assists. This is why he can guard all five positions and rarely misses a rotation or an assignment. His knowledge of the game has made him an elite player, an undersized power forward who battles with seven footers and quick point guards on a nightly basis while holding his own and coming out on top.

He continues to improve every aspect of his game, which adds even more dimensions to an already stellar basketball team. Green probably won’t start in the All-Star game like Curry and maybe Thompson because he is not as popular, but there is no power forward playing better than him.

The same could be said for Thompson too, after dropping 30 or more in consecutive games. After a slow November, Thompson has found his stroke, averaging over 25 points per game since December. He is back to his “no conscience” self, thinking every shot is a good shot. He can get hotter than anyone in the NBA, even hotter than his Splash Brother cohort. Thompson does all this scoring while being an elite defender at the same time.

Many shooting guards in the league just play one side of the ball like James Harden or J.J. Redick, both are great shooters. Thompson is a great shooter too but he can also shut down those guys. Thompson may be the best defensive two-guard in the entire league due to his length, quickness and overall effort. Harden and Redick do not possess these skills and become a liability to their teams on defense.

Will the Warriors have three representatives in Toronto? Absolutely. There is no doubt that the Warriors should be represented by these three elite players.