1 takeaway from each of the 5 NBA Christmas Day games

Draymond Green is still good when he wants to be

Draymond Green has found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place all season long.

Yes, he is relatively healthy, which should be the only prerequisite for exerting as much energy as possible to compete at a high level. But the Golden State Warriors were already facing an uphill battle just to make the playoffs without Klay Thompson.

Once Stephen Curry broke his left hand, the verdict for Golden State’s season was all but written, leaving Green to tone back the trademark intensity so as not to unnecessarily burn himself out with little reward awaiting him.

This method, while sound, left Draymond open for criticism. He’s averaging career-lows across the board and doesn’t have the Splash Brothers to help accentuate a very specific skill set. He doesn’t have the eye-test to come to his aid due to the Dubs standing as the worst in the west.

On Christmas Day, the three-time champion reached into his bag of competitive fire — flexing and shouting and all — if only for one of the biggest games of the season with plenty of eyes watching. The result? Twenty points, 11 rebounds and three assists in an unexpected 116-104 win over the Houston Rockets.

It was another statement added to the collection of a misjudged underappreciated star who’s made plenty throughout his Hall of Fame career.

Golden State is down for now, which means Draymond is laying low too. Next year will be different when Steph and Klay are fully healthy. Green will be right there alongside them, and despite what the detractors might think, he’ll be just fine.

Because as this latest game showed, the struggles aren’t without a purpose that’s setting up for something greater.