The Golden State Warriors have fallen to 4-16 on the season and are just 3-9 with three-time All-Star Draymond Green in the lineup.
There’s no denying that this season hasn’t gone as the Golden State Warriors had planned. They’ve won just four of their first 20 games, and it’s been brutal to watch at times.
Ever since the fourth game of the season, the Warriors have been without superstar and two-time MVP, Stephen Curry. He broke his left hand against the Suns, and the Warriors have since seen their playoff aspirations completely wiped away.
One player that’s caught a good bit of flack for the Warriors lacking success is Draymond Green. The questions regarding Green may have good intentions, but you must know the player that Green is to understand why the Warriors cannot thrive around just him.
Green is the glue.
He’s never been the focal point of this Warriors’ roster and more specifically their offense, and even when he peaked the season prior to Durant’s arrival, Green was still just an extremely high-quality part, thriving with Curry and Klay Thompson alongside.
Winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, even the best defenders cannot really carry a team. Teams are typically led by high-producing offensive threats, and that’s just not the player Green has developed into.
When the Warriors needed to make a play with Thompson or Durant out, it was typically some ridiculous shot by Curry. Or, at the very least, it was a drive by Green in which the lane was opened up by the attention given to Curry.
Without Curry, that space in the lane is no more and Green will venture into multiple defenders when he drives and overpowers his defender.
Green’s inability to truly lead the team single-handedly has been on full display this season. He’s averaging just 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. While those are quality numbers, there not the difference between a win and a lose for Dub Nation.
The Warriors may need more from Green, but it’ll just end in a disappointing manner if fans expect him to lead this team to the playoffs without his other three max-contract players, two of which will be sidelined until February.
Gear up for a long season, Dub Nation, and please don’t discard Green’s production as an inability. He wasn’t made to be the head honcho of a playoff-contenting team.