The Golden State Warriors are coming off another triumphant NBA championship run. While many believe that winning another title has led to stronger team camaraderie, Draymond Green proved them all wrong.
The NBA community was shocked earlier this week after Green cold-bloodedly punched his Warriors teammate Jordan Poole in a recent team practice session. As expected, Green, Poole, and the Warriors made headlines and the media is quizzing them about locker room rivalries.
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Indeed, it’s very unbecoming for a player of Green’s caliber to commit such a scandalous act. But while some think it’s time for the Warriors to let go of the multi-time All-Star, we take a look at three reasons why they should keep the player that has helped them make a whole bunch of trips to the NBA Finals.
Draymond Green is a key leader for the Warriors
Green has been in the league for 10 years. He displayed commendable loyalty and leadership skills from the get-go and it’s one of the things the Warriors loved about him. More importantly, Green’s ability to portray the role of a vocal leader helped Golden State cop four NBA championships.
Despite the issue with Poole, Green undeniably remains a key figure in the current Warriors squad. Ultimately, the Dubs would need a tenured leader like Green to co-exist with Stephen Curry as they aim to pick up where they left off this summer.
Green is a consistent All-Star-level player
Having racked up a total of 132 triple-doubles to date, Green is without a doubt a consistent performer for the Warriors. He doesn’t give the Dubs 30 to 40 points per outing like Curry but his numbers prove that he’s constantly delivering from both ends of the floor.
The best part of Green’s game is evidently his tremendous defense. After winning his first NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015, Green established himself as one of the best defenders of his generation. And in the 2016-17 season, Green finally won the well-deserved Defensive Player of the Year award after logging 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.
Apart from defense, Green’s basketball IQ is also impeccable. He is one of the few players in history who has been able to convert intangible basketball knowledge into results. Since 2015, Green never averaged anywhere lower than six assists per game as a stretch power forward. He tallied a career-high 8.9 assists per game in 63 games.
Golden State Warriors know winning is always Greens goal
Green will go down in history as one of the smartest players to ever play the game. Over time, Green was able to match his unique set of qualities with a remarkable winning mentality. According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, that’s what makes Dray still an important entity in the organization regardless of how people view him after the incident with Poole.
“Without him, we don’t win,” Myers said of Green after the video of the fight was leaked (h/t NBC Sports) “I want to win, our ownership wants to win, our players want to win. Our players want him on the team, and if you play, that’s the most important thing. Nobody’s saying ‘We don’t want him around, we don’t want him on the team.’ They know what he does, they know what he means.”
Simply put, the Warriors need Green to remain the winning team we all know.