Golden State Warriors: 2019-2020 will be the season of Draymond Green
It’s time to get excited, Dub Nation. The Golden State Warriors are just days away from the regular-season opener.
One player every Golden State Warriors’ fan should be excited for is forward Draymond Green. He’s set to have a much larger role in what should still be one of the league’s most dynamic offenses.
After three seasons with Kevin Durant, Green will return to being a part of this offense. With Klay Thompson out until at least February with a torn ACL, Green’s usage rate may be higher than its ever been.
The season prior to Durant’s arrival, Green not only put up the best numbers of his career but posted an 18.8% usage rate which is to this day the best of his career. The three seasons with Durant, as KD become more comfortable, saw less involvement from Green.
He dipped all the way to 13.1% this past season. While it may not seem like it, his usage rate is a great indicator of Green’s involvement because, when he’s involved, he’s making plays that’d for that rate up.
Now, with sharpshooters surrounding him, Green will have the options and should be able to make the right play for times than not. Throughout his seven-year career, Green has become a terrific passer, averaging over 6.5 assists in four straight seasons.
With the acquisition of D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors added another All-Star.
They needed it after losing Klay Thompson for the bulk of the season and then Durant to free agency. The departure of Durant may have been a blessing in disguise as he would’ve missed the entire 2019-2020 season regardless of which team he’s on.
This season, without those two, it’ll be the Draymond Green show. After being disrespected in most offseason player rankings, Green is primed to reset his play to that of the 2015-2016 season, a year in which he posted career-high averages in points, rebounds, and assists.
That’s the Green we need, and it should be the one that shows up.