Why Draymond Green is so valuable
I’m sure you’ve all heard about the recent war of words that has arisen between Draymond Green and Charles Barkley. If not then allow me to explain; ever since Steph Curry broke his hand at the beginning of the season this year has been a write-off for the Golden-State Warriors.
Kevin Durant left town for the Brooklyn Nets, Klay Thompson is out for the season with his ACL tear from last year’s Finals and as mentioned above, Curry was out till just recently. As a result of the Warriors losing their three best players, they have fallen off a cliff, as was to be expected.
They currently have the worst record in the league with Draymond Green being the only healthy All-Star caliber player available. Green has suffered (statistically) as a consequence of having a lot more responsibility on the floor. He’s only shooting 38.9% from the field and 27.9% from the 3-point line.
Green’s numerical decline has lead to Barkley often saying that Green is just getting “triple-singles”, meaning scoring less than 10 points, dishing less than 10 assists and grabbing less than 10 rebounds.
Green responded to this criticism by saying “Barkley should stop before I take his job. Because I can do that well, too…He also can’t talk basketball with me either. Not smart enough, not qualified. No rings, can’t sit at this table.”
Nobody denies that Barkley is better than Green. Barkley is an MVP winner and one of the greatest players the NBA has seen, but he is wrong about Draymond Green’s value to the Warriors, and here’s why.
Versatility
Green is one of the most versatile players in the league hands down. He’s a Defensive Player of the Year winner, has lead the league in steals and has averaged nearly 7 assists per game over the past five seasons.
He’s a great ball-handler and playmaker for his size, rebounds well and is a great team defender and leader. True, he is lacking in offensive skills, but you don’t have to be able to score to be valuable to your team.
Green sets greats screens, challenges shots at the rim, guards the opposing team’s best players and hustles for loose balls. All these things don’t show up in a box score sheet but are vital if a team is to play winning NBA basketball.
He can do a bit of everything on the floor which was instrumental to the Warriors winning 3 titles in 5 Finals appearances.
The Finder
Draymond Green is what I like to call a Finder. He finds ways to be effective on the court that doesn’t necessarily involve scoring. He will never be the face of a franchise, he doesn’t have the talent or scoring ability to do so. He also doesn’t fare well when he doesn’t have good players around him, but he excels at making great players even greater.
He is the glue-guy for the Warriors. He understands that he’s not out on the court to score, he’s out there to make it easier for his high-scoring teammates to score. He does the hustle and gritty plays so that Steph Curry and Klay Thompson can focus on scoring which is their specialties.
It’s no coincidence that the Warriors started winning titles and getting to the Finals when Draymond Green was put in the starting lineup.
Intangibles
Green has been described as a hothead before, and that’s right. He has been ejected from a lot of games in his career and he loves to talk trash to the other team. This is all because Draymond is a very intense player. He does nothing half-heartedly. You need that level of intensity if you are to consistently win at the highest level. Every team in the Playoffs has talented players. What separates those who win one title and those who win multiple titles is if you can stay hungry despite succeeding.
Green sometimes takes things over the line and should be criticized for that, but critics mustn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. You’d rather have a player that plays very close to the line and sometimes crosses it, than someone who just doesn’t care that much.
Green cares a lot. It shows on the floor and it’s a huge reason why the Warriors will bounce back next season. The rest of the league better hope they are ready.