The Golden State Warriors brought Kristaps Porzingis on board at this year’s deadline, and it didn’t exactly work out. Now, the Warriors should return to their roots, using Draymond Green as their small-ball five most of the time. Obviously, they should have center depth, but Green should be their go-to at the five.
When the Warriors were at their best, in Stephen Curry’s heyday, they surrounded Green with great shooting and relied on his elite defense to run the five. Well, Porzingis could have been a smart idea, as Green could then play the four next to him, but between injuries and other issues, it didn’t work.
Now, it’s time for the Warriors to return to their roots.
Warriors should commit to Draymond Green as full-time center
Porzingis is a fine player. He protects the rim well as an off-ball helper and can shoot the three-ball, giving the Warriors some nice spacing on the offensive end next to their stars.
But injury issues kept him off the court for most of his short-lived tenure in Golden State. And though the Warriors seem likely to bring Porzingis back on a small deal, they should still use him as a backup.
Al Horford played pretty well for the Warriors at the five, but he’s getting up there in age, and he can be a bit up-and-down on the offensive end at times (especially as a shooter).
Horford could be a solid option to start at the center spot for the Warriors. The same could be said for Quinten Post, who has played well for Golden State for the past two seasons.
However, if the Warriors want to give themselves the best chance to win another championship with Curry at the helm, they should return to playing Green as the primary center.
Instead of trying to roll out a transitional center next to Green, Golden State should just build a lineup of elite offensive players, utilizing Green as their starting five-man.
His versatile defense would allow them to hang with some of the best centers in the league while also providing the same offensive versatility that gave them an advantage all those years ago.
It’s time to return to the Green roots that helped Curry win in his prime. That’s the key for the Warriors moving forward, and they need to act on it now.
This offseason is crucial if the Warriors want to help Curry win another title, and they should commit to using Green as their full-time, small-ball center.
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