Golden State Warriors: 3 Impacts of losing Draymond Green
By Tony Pesta
A chance for others to step up
Looking on the bright side, Draymond Green hitting the bench has opened a path for other players to step up.
Jonathan Kuminga is the first name to come to mind. The rookie was likely looking at a full season of playing in the shadows before Green’s injury granted him the opportunity at playing extended minutes.
The No. 7 overall pick has responded well, flashing his potential as a rim-crusher in transition and jaw-dropping athlete on defense. Kuminga is averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds since Green’s injury.
Then, there is Nemanja Bjelica, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Kevon Looney who have been tasked with filling the frontcourt gap. No one other than Looney has done a better job at rising to the challenge.
Looney is having the best stretch of his career, recording two double-doubles in his last seven games and averaging nearly 10 rebounds in the month of January.