Speaking on his self-titled podcast, Warriors veteran Draymond Green opened up on how it feels to be a part of an aging dynasty. In a back-and-forth with Danny Green, Draymond was open and honest about trying to get used to his team being in a state of decline.
“It’s going to be very important to define who is it we are going to be. We [are] getting older,” said Draymond. “[The Warriors] are not the same basketball team that we were in 2019, or even 2022 for that matter. It changes. I think Steve is doing an incredible job of where he’s becoming more open to like Jonathan Kuminga having the ball more, Kuminga being in the pick and roll, and running some isos for Kuminga. Whereas, it takes some time to adjust to that when you’ve had the level of success that we’ve had.”
"We are not the same basketball team that we were in 2019, or even 2022, for that matter"
—@Money23Green on the future of the Warriors pic.twitter.com/8QHcDCtg4M
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 8, 2024
Draymond Green, a 4x NBA champion, is accustomed to dominance and success on the Warriors. Alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, he formed a dynasty in the West and put his name in the history books as one of the best defenders ever. For years, they enjoyed unprecedented prosperity.
But since 2022, a lot has changed for the Warriors. Jordan Poole, who was crucial to that last championship, is no longer with the team and the same can be said for many of the OGs who helped them win before like Andre Iguodala. There are also injuries to 5x All-Star Klay Thompson, who had torn Achilles and ACL in back-to-back offseasons.
Perhaps the most glaring reason for the decline is the advanced age of the core stars. Steph is 36, Klay is 34, and Draymond will turn 35 next March. Even after all they’ve done, it makes sense that those guys wouldn’t be the same given their age, experience, and the thousands of miles on their body.
After finishing 10th in the West last season, and losing the play-in game, the Warriors didn’t come close to making a run and there is serious concern about their future to compete. In a Western Conference that is so deep and unforgiving, the margin for error is slim and the Warriors will need to get better at every position if they want to keep up.
After watching his team dominate for so long, it’s going to take some time before the 6’6″ Draymond gets used to this new reality but he’s willing to put more trust in the young guys if it means setting the team up for more success down the road.
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