The Golden State Warriors are in a bit of a pickle. In the team’s Game One win over Minnesota Timberwolves to kick off the Western Conference Semifinals, one notable star was missing from most of the action. Stephen Curry, the foundational piece of the Warriors’ four championships, left the game early in the second quarter with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Sidelined for at least a week, and possibly more, the Warriors will need to turn to their other stars to lead the team. But no star is more important at this present moment than Draymond Green, who is the Warriors’ emotional leader. Now, Green will have to assume an even bigger leadership role in Curry’s absence.
Green’s Impact for the Warriors
There is no secret that Green has been extremely valuable to the Warriors during his tenure. Hailed as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Green’s physicality, versatility and toughness are what make him who he is and have been traits that have vital throughout his career. But, Green is more than just a high level talent, he is also a top notch leader. Green’s outspoken personality has sometimes created controversy, but all in all, it is precisely because of who he is that allows the Warriors to lean on him in times of need. In fact, it was because of a meeting that he played a major role in leading, that helped the Warriors beat the Houston Rockets in Game 7 to keep their season alive.
“He’s our leader,” Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, said. “And when he’s right, like he was [in Game 7], he’s an incredible player to watch. The defense, just kind of owning the court on that side of things and then just being patient and not turning it over and being in the right spots offensively. I think the guys understood after Game 6 we were scattered, we were out of sorts.”
Green is one of only four active NBA players to have won four championships, with the other three being Curry and his former Warriors’ teammate, Klay Thompson. In many cases, Curry and Thompson are looked at as the center pieces of those teams, which can undermine a little bit of Green’s impact. But if you look closely at his career, winning a Defensive Player of the Year and named to numerous All-NBA Defensive teams, there is no denying that Green is just as important.
What Green Will Need To Do The Rest of This Series
Curry will not be on the floor to run the offense on May 8, most likely putting Green in charge of that role. And because of that, he will need to become more of a playmaker and minimize on the turnovers– something he has struggled with at times in the playoffs.
“I had four turnovers,” Green said about this performance in the Game One win. “Your margin for error shrinks dramatically without Steph. We’ll see what Coach has in store. I’m not going to come out and be like, ‘Aw man, I need to be Steph.’ I can’t do that. But I may have to handle a little more. Just play my role, honor the game plan that Coach gives us, if that’s me making more plays, I’ll try to do that.”
There is no denying that Green is known for his defense but offensively, he is no slouch. One of only eight players in NBA playoff history to have 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds, he joins Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen— all Hall of Famers.
