The Golden State Warriors lose more than just a leader without Draymond Green.
Green is the defensive anchor of the team, and even though he’s not much of a scorer, his offensive contributions go way beyond the stat sheet.
As a matter of fact, Stat Muse reports that he actually led the team in +/- this season, as well as in blocks and assists per game.
The Warriors have a .562 winning percentage with Draymond this season, as opposed to a .333 winning percentage without him.
Warriors win% this season:
.562 — With Draymond
.333 — Without DraymondGreen led the team in assists, blocks and +/- this season. pic.twitter.com/CmzqJPRDJo
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 19, 2023
Green’s playmaking and basketball IQ have been vital to Steve Kerr’s team’s success for years now.
He does way more than just talk and set picks, as he’s often an extension of the coach on the court and excels at breaking down rival plays in real time.
The Warriors have their backs against the wall and are facing a 0-2 deficit in the playoffs for the first time in the Stephen Curry era.
The last time they lost two playoff games in a row was in 2019 when they lost the NBA Finals versus the Toronto Raptors.
So, not having Green on the floor because of that suspension is going to make this an even more complicated challenge for the Dubs, even if Domantas Sabonis also misses Game 3 with an injury.
The Kings have been the better team thus far this series, pushing up the pace on both ends of the floor, and it’ll take a huge collective effort to make up for Draymond’s lockdown defense come Thursday night.
NEXT:
NBA Insider Comments On Decision To Suspend Draymond Green
