The Warriors need to be careful with Draymond
The Golden State Warriors’ heart and soul, Draymond Green, has gotten a little beaten up. They need to make sure he’s healthy to play Game 3.
Draymond Green has been one of the absolute best players in the postseason. It’s hard to argue that anyone has been better than LeBron James, but it’s also difficult to say there have been guys that have been consistently better than Green. That’s how great he’s been.
He’s averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He’s shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three-point range. Green is also averaging nearly 2.3 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
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The All-Star forward has been getting it done on both ends of the floor. He had a Defensive Player of the Year-type campaign. Whether or not he wins the award, he was absolutely dominant on that end.
He’s been even better in the early part of this postseason. From defending the rim on Damian Lillard block attempts or picking up Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert, he’s been marvelous. He’s been in the middle of everything on defense.
Offensively, he’s exceeding expectations. Green is a great playmaker and ball handling option for Golden State. He sets great screens and can find his shooters and JaVale McGee and fit passes into tight spaces.
Green is shooting the ball well. Teams are sagging off of him and daring him to shoot. The Warriors have to be happy that he’s knocking down such a high percentage of his jumpers after he struggled during the regular season.
What makes Green so special is that he won’t be outworked. He leaves it all on the court, every single time. He puts his body on the line every possession.
As a result, he’s getting banged up. This became really noticeable in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz. He was seen having his left hip get worked on and he tweaked his left knee.
Green is the type of competitor who would try to go play in an NBA game even if both of his legs got chopped off 45 minutes before tipoff. And that’s why the Warriors need to be careful and monitor his situation closely. They need to make sure he’s really fine to go in Game 3.
The Warriors cannot afford to lose him. He might be their most important player. If one of Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant were to go down, then the other MVP can pick him up. What Green does is unique to only him.
Sacrificing Game 3 is a much more favorable outcome than sacrificing Green. Golden State needs to ensure that his body is fine to go in Utah on Saturday. His health should be the top priority.
The Warriors are looking to make a deep run. They’re going to need Draymond Green. As he plays more minutes at center, he’s going to get beat up. Playing the way he does takes a physical toll on a guy.
If there’s any reason to believe he’s not capable of playing like himself or if he can make an injury get worse, he should sit. Golden State needs to be careful with him. But, at the same time, who really wants to be the person to tell Green that he should sit out?