Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Surviving Kevin Durant Injury

1. Draymond, Draymond And More Draymond

The Warriors bench will need to step up. Matt Barnes will need to fill his role and exceed expectations. Andre Iguodala may have to play more. Curry will have to return to 2015-16 form, Klay Thompson will need to step up, the Dubs have to make it through the upcoming stretch where they play five of their next six games on the road, the list goes on and on.

That list, however, starts and ends with the team’s lead firecracker and human Swiss Army Knife, Draymond Green.

At this point, Green is as well known for his on-court antics, referee tirades, flailing limbs and incessant trash talk as he is for his playmaking, his unbelievably versatile defense and his importance to a Warriors team that won a championship in 2015 and won 73 games in 2016.

However, there’s no question that Durant’s arrival has downplayed his two-way importance, at least in the eyes of the casual fan. After all, KD has been playing at a level deserving of NBA All-Defensive recognition, and his 4.8 assists per game have solidified his status as one of the team’s most important secondary playmakers.

Taking a look at Draymond Green’s numbers in 2015-16 compared to this season, it’s easy to see KD’s arrival has somewhat lessened his impact, at least in the stats column:

• 2015-16:  14.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 49.0 FG%, 38.8 3P%
• 2016-17:  10.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 43.1 FG%, 32.6 3P%

However, even though Green’s scoring, rebounding and shooting numbers are all down, he’s as effective as ever as the team’s leading assist man, his steals are a career high and he’s still altering shots as the NBA’s most undersized rim protector.

With Durant out, Draymond’s scoring and shooting efficiency will need to return, and there will be more pressure on him to secure rebounds since KD was the team’s leading rebounder at 8.2 per game.

But with Durant out, Green will get his chance to reassert himself as a premiere playmaker and defender. He was already a frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but if he can keep the league’s second-ranked defense in the top five without its leading shot-blocker, he should lock that award up and keep the Warriors strong over the next month.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

Kevin Durant’s absence will affect the Golden State Warriors in a ton of different ways, but the key to making sure this ship continues to sail smoothly is Draymond Green putting his money where his mouth is.