As the Golden State Warriors attempt to make a run at a championship with their veteran trio next season, a vast number of questions remain regarding both their roster construction and the continued viability of their established core.
Yet, perhaps the biggest question might come from an unnoticed source. As Draymond Green ages, will his defensive prowess continue to hold up?
Without a doubt, Green is the defensive quarterback of the team, and, if their offense regresses to its relatively pedestrian performance, Green's ability to continue guarding all five positions will be more important to the team than ever before.
Draymond Green must continue to be among the best defenders in the league for the Warriors to have a shot
Last season, at age 35, Green played a healthy mixture of the four and the five for Golden State, averaging nine points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists through 68 games.
Yet, in addition to his ability to be a secondary playmaker behind Stephen Curry, it was his defensive IQ that continued to be his most impressive trait on the court. After Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs missed the second half of the season with a blood clot, Green quickly became one of the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year.
While the award ultimately went to rim-protecting big man Evan Mobley, Green's enduring ability to account for his lack of positional size allowed him to play a rather effective center for the Warriors when they needed it, and his immersive understanding of nuanced and intense defense continued to shine through.
Yet, as Green has gotten older, injuries have limited his effectiveness at times. Over the past five seasons, Green has missed a combined 105 games due to injury or rest, playing only 46 games in 2021-22 as a result of a lower back injury.
For other aging elite defenders, including Rudy Gobert, younger, more athletic defensive phenoms have begun to creep up on their places among the best defenders in the league in recent years. Youngsters such as Ausar Thompson, Evan Mobley and Dyson Daniels are, as we speak, becoming the new defensive archetypes.
For Green, however, it has never been his athleticism or his height that have made him an impactful defender: it has always been his unmatched basketball IQ.
Last season, the Warriors had the best defensive rating in the league following the All-Star break. While this was heavily impacted by the arrival of Jimmy Butler, Green still served as the team's defensive quarterback, and, in order for the team to continue to compete in a loaded Western Conference, he will need to continue his stellar performance next season.
Therefore, while Golden State still has many questions surrounding their path to contention, Green's skill-set remains as vital as ever to any chance the team might have to push through the gauntlet.