As the Golden State Warriors have attempted to find their footing, having scrawled out a 10-9 record through the first month of the season, the viability of their veteran core has been under severe scrutiny from both fans and the national media.
Yet, apart from the starpower of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, it is clear that Draymond Green, insofar as he provides a staunch defensive presence on the interior, still has a majorly important role to play in this team's success.
According to Howard Beck on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, Green's impact on the Warriors' net rating is simultaneously remarkable and somewhat concerning:
"There's an 18.5 point swing with Draymond on the court vs off [per 100 possessions]... Despite bringing in 72-year-old Al Horford and trying to lean more on Quentin Post, they're just still very unsettled at center."Howard Beck
Draymond is hugely important, but the Warriors need to do all they can to lessen his burden
Throughout his career, Green, more than almost any other player in the NBA, has taken his fair share of knocks concerning the extent to which he contributes to his team's success. Yet, anyone who has watched the Warriors in that time, or even followed the NBA on a more general level, would know just how vital Green is to the team's identity.
Over the past couple seasons, however, Golden State's utter lack of rim protection has forced them to ask more of Green than he perhaps is capable of offering on a game-to-game basis. Even though Horford has been a welcome addition, Green has still had to function as the de-facto big man more often than he would probably like to.
Therefore, when Green is on the court, not only is he responsible for quarterbacking the team's defensive rotations but also matching up against players who potentially tower over him, relying upon his immaculate sense of timing in order to disrupt their shots.
Say whatever you want about his offensive game (his -3.8 offensive box plus-minus this season will grant you plenty of ammo), but Green is still absolutely vital to the way that the Warriors want to win.
Yet, in his 14th season in the NBA, it is unfair to ask Green to take on this physical toll over the course of an 82-game season. The team has constructed themselves in such a way that they are absolutely dependent upon his health to compete, and, just a month into the season, he is already missing time with a foot sprain.
While these wild discrepancies in net rating likely will not last the whole season, it is clear that Green still has an enduring importance for this team, and Golden State must do their utmost to hone that in as productive a manner as possible as the campaign wears on.