The Golden State Warriors don’t want to play Draymond Green at the five for significant stretches, but they are about to embark on that journey again. Al Horford is rumored to be signed to be their starting center after the Jonathan Kuminga drama gets sorted, but he is 39 years old. The Dubs can’t expect him to play more than 27 minutes per night and must give him time off. That will put Draymond right back in the same position.
Kevon Looney has gone to New Orleans. That leaves just Quentin Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis as non-Draymond options at the five on their current roster. Both have significant warts and haven’t played more than 17 minutes per game so far. Unless someone can scale up or Kerr plans on having Post and TJD in the nightly rotation, there will be minutes for Green to eat at the five every night.
The playing time will increase when Horford misses time or if Golden State wants a victory in a specific matchup. Draymond has a unique and irreplaceable skill set, but the 35-year-old is no stranger to missing time. The Warriors can’t put a massive workload on him. Sadly, they won’t have any choice if they want to be a serious title threat.
Warriors need Draymond Green to do too much this season
Green is the heart and soul of the Dubs’ defense, but even with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, their offense has questions. Fans don’t even know what their roster will look like until Kuminga’s restricted free agency is sorted. They need more scoring, ball-handling, and playmaking to compete with the best teams in the West.
Things are even messier on the other end of the floor. A Green and Horford frontcourt sounds appealing, but the veterans can’t throw their fastball every night anymore. Butler has a reputation for defense, but his impact fluctuates as he declines. Golden State desperately needs an injection of youth to help them on defense. They have the talent, but there are no guarantees that the potential becomes reality.
Asking Draymond to clean up this mess is unsustainable. He played 68 games last season, but averages just 59.1 each year since 2019. The Warriors will struggle in his absences, which makes this problem bigger. They need to give Green rest, but cannot realistically expect to win without him.
This problem isn’t going away. There is no difference-making center waiting in free agency beyond Al Horford. Golden State hopes he staves off the dreaded decline one more year and can be impactful in the Bay Area. If not, Green’s problem reaches a whole new crisis level.
The Golden State Warriors have had this Draymond Green issue for years. They always find a way to navigate it, but things feel more pressing entering this season. The Dubs know they only have a few shots to get Curry and Green a fifth championship. Not having a center may be the death knell.
Golden State should try to find a veteran innings eater for the regular season, but it doesn’t appear likely. Instead, it will be thrust on Draymond, and everyone will be hoping he makes it to the playoffs in one piece. It is a massive and scary ask. All fans can do is stay tuned to see how it all plays out.