As the Golden State Warriors brace for a new era of basketball, Draymond Green readily awaits the challenge.
It’s the NBA’s worst kept secret, the Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors are falling apart.
The impact of the 2019 NBA Finals continues to ripple through the league as the Dubs have seemingly never recovered from the devastating injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.
Soon after the postseason ended, Durant was on his way to Brooklyn while other key players such as Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins and Shaun Livingston departed from the team as well.
Left standing was Green, Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell. Only a few weeks into the season, Curry fell with a fractured left hand that will hold him sidelined until Spring.
Now, the Warriors stand as one of the worst teams in the league. Still, Green is excited about the future and what is to come for the Dubs.
“I’m going back to the way I was pre-KD, and that’s exciting to me,” Green told Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report. “I had to give up shots to make sure Kevin gets his touches.”
Green’s comments hold some truth here. In the three seasons that Durant was with the franchise, Green’s field goal attempts dipped to an average of 8.0 per game as opposed to his previous 10.1 attempts per game.
Green went on to explain that he is grateful for Durant’s contributions as he helped lead them to two additional championships. However, as a competitor, Green is excited to have an increased role once again.
The Warriors may be a disaster at the moment, but things will be different next season. The franchise has a chance to reload in the offseason with big opportunities in free agency and the 2020 NBA Draft.
A healthy Dubs team of Thompson, Green, Curry, Russell and whoever else the Dubs add int he offseason is a recipe for success. Whatever happens, expect Green to be at the core of this squad’s success.