The Golden State Warriors are one of the premier teams in the NBA, currently second in the Western Conference with a 43-20 record.
When fully healthy, the Warriors have had one of the best lineups in basketball, primarily due to Draymond Green’s role as the ultimate glue guy.
However, since Green suffered a back injury in January, his absence has definitely been missed as Golden State has dropped seven of their last 10 contests.
A Warriors staff member went as far as to tell ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, “He’s the control center of everything we do.”
Coach Steve Kerr agreed with that sentiment. When speaking about the up-and-coming guard Jordan Poole being asked to do more, he alluded to Green’s Swiss army knife effect on the team:
“The change is not him playing off the bench; it’s that Draymond isn’t out there,” Kerr said per Andrews’ story. “Think about the first half of the season. … He was not really our backup point guard. He played with guys who handled the ball. He really focused on scoring and shooting. But with the injuries we’ve had, Jordan has had to take on playmaking duties, and there’s a much bigger responsibility.”
The Warriors’ defensive numbers back up the significance of the Green’s absence.
With Green on the court, the Warriors only give up 100.3 points per game which would rank first in the NBA by 2.4 points. Without Green, they’ve given up 109 points per game, which would be tied for 14th. In addition, Green ranks first on the team in assists (7.4), rebounds (7.6), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.2) per game.
On Saturday night, the Warriors head to the bright lights of Los Angeles to face the downward trending Los Angeles Lakers (27-35).
