Sports Illustrated Top 100: Warriors well-represented but dominance is over
By Kit Shepard
Green, Thompson and Russell
Moving down the list, the next Warrior is Draymond Green at No. 17. Again, we could speculate for countless hours over whether he deserves to have dropped four places, particularly following his sensational displays in the postseason last Spring.
Green would be in the top ten at least if the rankings were based on value in the playoffs alone, but he is coming off a lethargic regular season which triggered a major change of lifestyle.
With Golden State losing crucial players over the summer, there will be little room for complacency this time around, so he could have an excellent year and climb the list in twelve months time.
The only new signing included was D’Angelo Russell, who ranked in 44th after not placing last season. The Warriors are certainly getting a player on the rise, and there is no reason why the 23-year-old cannot improve further in The Bay.
Klay Thompson, the lowest Warrior on the list, was ranked in 58th, a dramatic drop of 36 places. Obviously, his ACL injury was the sole reason for this decline, with SI emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding his return date at this stage.
Thompson was playing so well in the lead-up to his injury that there is every chance he could have cracked the top 20 if he was healthy. He recently notched his fifth-straight season of 20-plus points per game, securing his fifth-straight All-Star appearance.