Draymond Green makes instant impact for Golden State Warriors

It’s not always easy to jump into the fray and make an impact at the highest level. For Draymond Green, it only took a few minutes to restore balance to the Golden State Warriors.

OK, this is a bit of an exaggeration. The Dubs squeaked out a double-digit victory only after a reeling Washington Wizards threatened to make it a game in the second half. Nonetheless, the Dubs looked like a different team when Green was on the floor.

Draymond Green returned to the Golden State Warriors and it all made sense again as his instant impact was clear to see for everyone.

Green played just 20 minutes but he managed to post 6 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds in his return to the floor. It did not take long to see what the Dubs have been missing.

Almost instantly, Green set up Stephen Curry for an open 3-pointer after a split action with Kevon Looney freed him up. By the end of the first half, Green had assisted three 3-pointers for Curry and continued to make life easier for the two-time MVP with bone-crushing screens in the second half.

Curry, who had been shooting 36.2 percent from deep since Draymond’s injury, erupted for 47 points on a 7-of-14 clip from the 3-point line. We can’t give Green too much credit for Curry’s performance but he certainly had an impact.

It was all of the little things Green did when on the court. A heads-up play to Klay Thompson set up an easy transition bucket with Washington’s defense asleep. Meanwhile, Barking out defensive rotations to the Dubs allowed Green’s team to stay locked in themselves.

Draymond was a plus-24 in his 20 minutes back in action and the Warriors can look forward to gaining momentum with their roster nearly at full strength down the stretch of the season.