Draymond Green has long been considered the vocal leader of the Golden State Warriors. Even when both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were trying to prove themselves as the best player on the team, Green was quietly ensuring that harmony stayed between all parts of the team, which it did for their 2017 and 2018 title runs.
This current Finals run has to mean a little more to Draymond, considering they don’t have two of the three best players in the league on their team, along with his DPOY self and one of the greatest shooters in league history in Klay Thompson. While the 2022 Warriors still have Curry, neither Draymond nor Klay are at the same level they used to be at.
The quest for this title is what motivates Green every day, and he revealed it to the media prior to Game 3 in Boston.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK-q0bghC4A
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I’m going on about my summer and we lost the NBA Finals because we couldn’t meet force with force. So I think that was just kind of it for me, and understanding that, like I said, that is my department. That’s where I’m supposed to lead, and I can’t let my guys down.”
Green taking ownership of this team’s success makes sense. He holds himself accountable for what he provides on the court, and his offensive performances through the first two games have been severely lacking. On the other hand, his defense was crucial in the Warriors’ Game 2 win.
This group has a lot of young players who can become NBA champions very early in their careers. Draymond understands the rarity of that and will take the brunt of the blame if the Warriors fail. Can’t be easy for him knowing how close they are to ending false narratives about their dynasty but still needing 3 wins before the victory lap can start.
