Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green is at an All-Star Level

Draymond Green has contributed to the Golden State Warriors’ on-court success in a variety of ways.

Draymond’s first option has never been to score the basketball. He’s a pass-first player who’s looking to get his teammates involved. Draymond is important to the growth of the Warriors and his dedication is often underlooked.

Draymond Green has been playing like his former All-Star self. His ability to wreak havoc on the floor is what makes him a force to be reckoned with.

His on-court play is not as satisfying to watch as Curry. His on-court presence is not as intimidating as LeBron. Yet, Draymond provides a jolt of energy to his teammates that can’t be quantified.

His fast pace play leaves opposing defenders shook. His leadership skills bring the best out of his teammates. Green acts as a mentor to his younger teammates. His passion for perfection even earned him a technical foul leading to an ejection earlier this season; whilst yelling at the rookie center; James Wiseman.

Draymond is on pace this season to average more assists than points. It has only been done by Jason Kidd, Rajon Rondo, and Mark Jackson. That shows his unselfishness to do whatever is best for his team. Draymond sacrifices his scoring numbers by doing the dirty work to create looks for his teammates.

Green’s ability to create offense at such a high level is a huge reason why the Warriors are over-exceeding thus far.

Over the last 15 games, Green has averaged 10.7 APG. That’s unbelievable considering he was playing center most of the time while Looney and Wiseman were sidelined with an injury.

Yes, Draymond Green is an exceptional offensive facilitator, but his bread and butter lie at the defensive end. Green’s intensity and leadership on the defensive end lead to immense observation. His teammates recognize how active Draymond is and wish to play a similar style. It’s a chain reaction. Notice how well Andrew Wiggins is playing on the defensive end this year. He is feeding off of Draymond’s energy.

Although Draymond won’t be an All-Star this season, his play speaks for itself. Let’s be honest. The All-Star game is a popularity contest when in reality it should be about impactful players who lead to success.

If Draymond continues to be a problem at both ends of the floor, expect the Warriors to continue moving up the Western Conference rankings.