Golden State Warriors: 4 role players who can push them over the top

1. Draymond Green

Of the starters, Draymond Green is the only piece besides Curry that isn’t a new addition to the team. His value to the Golden State Warriors has been stable and established for years: play good defense and support offense. With both Steph and Klay out last season, Warriors fans looked to Draymond to step up and perhaps shine in a way we haven’t seen him do before but that never happened. With Steph back, we can hopefully go back to appreciating Draymond’s indispensable value on the team.

Green missed the first four games of the season after contracting COVID-19. He has been back for the past three games now, but it’s clear that he is still warming up. In his first two games, Draymond played 17 and 27 minutes, respectively, and averaged 0.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

His third game against the Kings really showed the team what they were missing in his absence. Green finished the night with five points, five rebounds, and five assists and showcased his phenomenal playmaking abilities. He showed that he can orchestrate an offense and that nobody has better chemistry with Curry than him. After all, this is Draymond and Steph’s ninth year playing together.

The key for Draymond is for him to get back into the swing of the game following his recovery from COVID-19 which has impacted his stamina and lungs. Draymond has new help on the defensive end from James Wiseman, who he should continue to mentor. He must also continue to assist Curry and Wiggins on the offense.