Golden State Warriors: 10 Keys To Winning Game 7
3. Draymond Green Statement Game
If the Warriors win Game 7, all will be forgiven. But if the Dubs drop their third straight game for the first time in the Steve Kerr era and flush away their historic season, Draymond Green will go from being a Bay Area hero to the scapegoat behind the greatest collapse in NBA Finals history.
Whether you believe Green is an awkward athlete who can’t control his limbs or whether you think he’s a serial nut-tapper is irrelevant; for our purposes, all that matters is that Green knew how close he was to suspension — even without all the flagrant foul points he had accrued — and made a play that forced the league’s hand.
What should have been a triumphant closeout Game 5 in front of their home fans quickly became a messy ordeal that revealed just how important Golden State’s best two-way player is.
Draymond suspension gave the Cavs life, and they have seized the series ever since. LeBron last two games has been...I don't even know.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 17, 2016
It gave the Cavaliers a lifeline, and despite Green’s desire to live up to his standing as the emotional leader of a 73-win juggernaut, his eight-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance in the Game 6 loss was merely an afterthought.
Simply put, Green let his teammates down by not being there to help them take care of business and close out a series that should’ve been over in five games. His suspension prompted Klay Thompson and Marreese Speights’ comments that gave LeBron James bulletin board material, it gave the Cavs hope and it prevented the Dubs from closing the series in a game where Andrew Bogut was lost for the rest of the season.
Now the Warriors face the possibility of becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to squander a 3-1 lead. They face a dangerous opponent brimming with confidence, and they do so without Bogut and with a banged up Iguodala. This very nightmare scenario is why you close out playoff series when you have the chance.
Heading into a decisive Game 7, the Warriors need the Draymond Green statement game they were hoping for in Game 6.
They need Green to make up for his costly mistake and redeem himself by cleaning up the boards, protecting the basket, igniting fast breaks, knocking down open threes when he gets them and barking at the crowd after big plays to get the fans and his teammates fired up.
If he can do all that in a Warriors victory, his Game 5 suspension will be a tiny blip in an otherwise untouchable season. If he can’t, his suspension will go down as the first domino that led to the historic collapse of an all-time great team.
Next: No. 2