Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors starting power forward, nearly cracked the top ten in Sports Illustrated’s top 100 NBA players in 2019 list.
The fourth Warrior to appear on Sports Illustrated’s ranking, Draymond Green officially came in at No. 13, right before Rudy Gobert and right after Kawhi Leonard.
Here’s a key excerpt of what S/I’s Ben Golliver said about the Warrior forward. Read the full article and see the full rankings here.
"Green’s offensive utility has slipped slightly over the last two years: his three-point shooting has regressed, and his pick-and-roll playmaking has taken a backseat to accommodate Durant’s arrival. Regardless, he’s a skilled and willing passer who would be able to function as a quality secondary playmaker even if he wasn’t surrounded by All-Stars on all sides. The eye test and his impact stats agree that Green has learned to dial back his effort level in the regular season, and that’s a luxury he wouldn’t have on most teams. Then again, Green’s postseason prowess and leadership during big moments are major reasons why Golden State can get away with coasting in the first place."
Golliver was spot on with this explanation of Green. Not the full description of the three-time All-Star, Green’s impact goes far beyond just one paragraph. However, there’s a ton of meat in what Golliver said in this paragraph.
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Yes, Green has regressed.
Last season, Green barely hit 30% from three. However, his field goal percentage overall was significantly higher than his career average. At 45.4%, Green, while not being lethal from deep, was taking and making better shots.
That’s imperative for improvement, and it clearly helped the Dubs.
Green was down in rebounds, steals and blocks last season as the year prior. Is there concern for Green?
Absolutely not, and that’s exactly why he continues to rank high on these types of lists. He’s valuable.
His defensive contributions alone make him a top 25 players. On top of that, being capable of dishing 7.3 assists per game helped the Dubs create one of the league’s most tenacious offenses, putting up league-high 113.5 points per game.
Under contract through the end of the 2019-2020 season, Green will get to see how this upcoming offseason plays out before deciding on his plan for the future. Without a signature shoe or too many endorsement deals, Green, who will easily be capable for a max contract from some team, might have to decide how import seeking that max is.
Would he leave his only NBA home to play elsewhere or would he thrive off what the Dubs give him and continue to win rings?
Your guess is probably as good as mine as for what the future holds for Green and the Dubs.