Power forward Draymond Green has been a key part of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, and his defensive prowess has clearly made him a player that is irreplaceable for the team.
Historically, we have seen Draymond Green start for the Warriors. However, the team decided to bring him off the bench in Game 4 of their series against the Sacramento Kings. Warriors insider Malika Andrews of ESPN explained that this is because the team “liked the spacing” without him in the lineup.
“The decision stemmed from the Warriors’ desire to split up their non-shooters and separate Green and Kevon Looney, sources told ESPN. Golden State liked the spacing it played with in Game 3 while Green was suspended. The Warriors also played one of their best defensive games of the series.”
It is definitely easy to justify this decision from an offensive standpoint. Having two non-shooters in the starting lineup can make things harder for Stephen Curry on that end of the floor, and perhaps the team decided to lean into offense. It is clear that they have enough defense in the starting lineup, and starting Jordan Poole could end up benefitting them in the context of this series.
Going into Game 4, Draymond Green has averaged 6.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 8.0 APG for the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. It is clear that he is still a crucial part of the team, and perhaps a bench role can help him provide even more impact.
Some Believe Draymond Green’s Suspension Was Unwarranted
There is no doubt that Draymond Green’s stomp on Domantas Sabonis was very controversial, and many believe that the suspension was justified. However, some have defended Draymond Green, and star Paul George claimed that the suspension was “unfair”.
“Unfair, bro. Unfair. Like what do you want him to do? If somebody’s holding your ankle and you’re trying to jump over them and you’re off-balance like… He could’ve fucked his leg up with that.”
At the end of the day, though, the Warriors ended up winning Game 3, and thus Draymond Green’s suspension didn’t really cost them that much. Hopefully, he avoids making controversial plays such as this one in the future, and we’ll see how the Warriors do with him back in the lineup for the rest of the series.
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