Amid all the talk of second stars and 12-man rotations, I made a critical error:
I forgot about Dray.
But with Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, and amid seemingly nothing but young faces and new bodies, Green’s impact in the Warriors’ back-to-back home wins against the Pelicans was undeniable. He had the Warriors’ offense humming and put Zion Williamson in jail. Thirteen years into his Hall of Fame career, Green looked as impactful as ever on both ends of the court.
It’s the kind of play that can easily be taken for granted, even by those who have seen it and praised it for a decade.
It’s the kind of play that’s won titles in the past and is necessary for the Warriors to be something more than what they have been in recent seasons.
“He’s still one of the best defenders in the world, that’s for sure,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
That’s no accident, either.
“I wanted to come into this season in great shape. I know if I come into the season in great shape, that’s the key to me having a great season and the team having a great season,” Green said.
The question now is whether this kind of play from Green will be constant. If it is, that changes the paradigm for these Warriors.
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Draymond Green Jr. throws a ball to his father Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) before the start of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The presumption, made by yours truly and so many others, is that while Green can still deliver supernova two-way performances reminiscent of the good ol’ days, those bursts would be sporadic or infrequent. The dude’s been in the league forever (have you seen all the pads he wears when he’s on the bench?), he has his side gigs and a full family life taking up his time off the court, and smarts and guile can only cover up for so much on it.
Following a disastrous 2023-24 season defined by bizarre suspensions that left the basketball world—and Green—wondering if it was the end of the line, it felt fair to suggest that the Warriors’ forward was that he was …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
