Draymond Green is the Key to the Warriors’ Success
On March 14 versus the Washington Wizards, the Warriors received a much-needed booster in the wake of their un-inspiring play. After missing the past two months, Draymond Green came back from injury with a calf injury sustained in practice.
With Green, the Warriors are almost unstoppable, heralding a record of 27-6 while holding opponents to 42% shooting and 33% shooting from 3-point range.
Offensively, Green is usually the engine –– always finding players at the right spot at the right time. Defensively, Green's resume of earning an All-NBA Defensive team mention six times while winning the Defensive Player of the Year during the 2016-2017 season should tell others what he's capable of.
Without Green, the Warriors are a mediocre team, with a record of 19-16. However, their defense has shown a noticeable difference as well –– as they held opponents to 45% shooting and had a defensive rating of 107.2.
The Warriors have been playing average basketball at best. Their defense was noticeably slacking –– giving up 131 points to Denver, 122 to Dallas, and 111 to Utah, to name a few.
"I felt great tonight, and probably 90% of the things I'm doing is due to the things [Rick Celebrini] is doing," Green said. "From him getting on me, from him putting extra sets in when I'm tired [and] pushing me."
On the surface, having Draymond back was inspiring. Everyone on the court heightened their intensity to another level because they all knew if they weren't playing to the Warriors' standards, Draymond would let them know about it.
When Draymond first got into the game, the Warriors ran their patent low-post split action, where Draymond found Warriors' superstar Stephen Curry coming off the Kevon Looney screen for a right-wing three.
Then, a couple of possessions later, Green directed traffic and found Curry again, this time, moving off-ball and swishing in one of his seven threes of the night.
Green credits his return to action to Warriors Director of Sports Medicine, Rick Celebrini.
"The relationship we've built together over the course of the past 11 weeks is one that will last for the rest of my life," Green said.
Green said he's grateful that Celebrini spent the All-Star Weekend rehabbing him in his media post-game presser.
"11 weeks ago, I could barely walk," Green said. "Couldn't lift my foot up on my toes. About four weeks ago, I had the gimpiest run you'd ever seen. About 2.5 weeks ago, I couldn't dunk a basketball. He stayed with me the entire way, got me back strong, and I'm very thankful for Rick [Celebrini] and his family."
In his limited 20 minutes of action, Green posted his usual stat-line of six points, seven rebounds, six assists while having a team-high +24.
With the return of Green, the Warriors look to tighten up the screws in the wild, wild Western Conference.
(photo credit: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)