Player To Watch: Draymond Green
Curry and Thompson will have to be good on Saturday for the Warriors to win, but Draymond Green is the engine that makes the Warriors go. His role has only become more important since Durant left–Draymond is the Warriors defense.
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As I wrote for Hoops Habit earlier in the season, Draymond makes the Warriors defense historically great when he’s on the floor. With Draymond out there, Golden State allows 99.3 points per 100 possessions.
That’s a better mark than the San Antonio Spurs, the best defensive team in the NBA, allows opponents to score. When Draymond is not on the floor, the Warriors give up 105.1 points per 100 possessions, which is what the eighth-place Charlotte Hornets allow.
Draymond will never get the respect he deserves due to some combination of his low scoring totals, his attitude and his questionable kicking incidents, but he’s one of the three best defensive players in the NBA, and he also gives the Dubs their fire.
If Draymond goes off, the Warriors will likely go off with him. If he struggles, the team might have a hard time getting out of any rut they get stuck in.