Green eager to silence doubters
Warriors leader aims to atone for rough season With the Warriors’ 201920 season officially done, The Chronicle is reviewing how each player fared.
No one on the Warriors had a tougher transition this past season than forward Draymond Green, who has built a career on providing the subtleties — helpside defense, pinpoint passes and, yes, trash talk — that comprise winning basketball.
This is someone who requires stakes and a worthy supporting cast to be at his best. When the Warriors went all in on their youth movement after Stephen Curry broke a bone in his left hand four games into the season, Green had to come to terms with being on his first losing team — no easy task for such a competitor.
On several occasions in October, he let his frustration show, using postgame news conferences to criticize teammates’ effort. But as the losses mounted and reality set in, Green adjusted his approach. His priority became mentoring the young players. With the
Warriors decimated by injuries, Green was often the only holdover from the team’s recent dynasty.
Though head coach Steve Kerr praised his leadership, Green’s production nosedived. In 43 games, he averaged eight points on 38.9% shooting (27.9% from 3point range), 6.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds in 28.4 minutes. His defense, long considered among the league’s best, was inconsistent.
It didn’t help that Green was dealing with a slew of nagging injuries. At various points in the season, he was sidelined by a sprained left index finger (six games), a sore left knee (six), a sore right heel (four), a bruised right pelvis (two), a sprained right ankle (one), flulike symptoms (one) and lower back tightness (one).
This amplified the chorus of critics who believe that, at 30, Green is past his prime. But given that he is set to earn nearly $100 million over the next fourseasons, the Warriors are banking on him returning to an AllStarcaliber level.
Once Green can again benefit from the spacing Curry and Klay Thompson provide, he should find easier shots and more open shooters. The biggest question, however, is whether the Warriors can return to contention. For Green to maximize his strengths, he needs to be on the sport’s biggest stages.
One losing season in a career loaded with Finals runs can be dismissed as an aberration. But if losing becomes a trend, Green’s value could continue to slip. And that would make his contract one of the league’s worst.
Offseason outlook: Green has had plenty of time the past three months to see pundits and NBA fans predicting the demise of his career.
This is good news for the Warriors, who know he uses criticism to fuel rigorous offseason workout regimens.
Even if Golden State views his performance last season as a product of circumstance, it still needs Green to prove that he isn’t declining. The Warriors have invested far too much money for him to just be another assistant coach on the floor.