Not sure what the Golden State Warriors’s plans are with Draymmond Green but Damian Lillard is ready to catch him in the outfield in case Bob Myers and Joe Lacob decide to swing him out of Golden State. I’ve always been an admirer of Draymmond’s style of play even in the Kevin Durant era in Golden State he was the only Golden State Warrior I enjoyed watching and yes I enjoyed watching him over Steph Curry,Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard honestly is a bit delusional about foreseeing a championship ship parade in Portland this season but next season with Draymmond on board Lillard might not be as delusional.
Kudos to Stephen Curry who gave us a miraculous season with scoring sprees we hadn’t seen since the legendary Kobe Bryant in the mid 2000’s when he was performing his own solo act in Los Angeles on a talent starved Lakers’s team who needed him to score 30+ points every single night in order to just have a chance at the 8th seed in the Western Conference. That said no one gives credit to Draymmond Green who was alleviating the duties of play-making and leadership for Stephen Curry and dialing in practically 10+ rebounds and 10+ assists on a nightly basis along with solid defense.
The Warriors had a chance to make the playoffs but fell short at the hands of Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies and it is being said that Draymmond wants input on the Warriors off-season moves. If I’m the Warriors I’m looking to move on from Draymmond not because he is no longer a valuable piece I just believe the Warriors’s ceiling with Curry,Klay, and Green is past off. Sure we can reminisce to how good they were prior to Kevin Durant signing and be optimistic about how much better Andrew Wiggins will be at the small-forward slot than Harrison Barnes was I just feel they need a change of personnel around Steph and Klay.
We could also bank on rookie James Wiseman making a leap next season but I don’t believe his leap along with the return of Klay Thompson will be enough to get them back in the Finals let alone allow looming free-agent Stephen Curry to capture at least one more title in Golden State assuming he decides to re-sign. As for Draymmond Green I think he needs a new mission in his basketball career, he was once the guy warning the entire NBA on the tsunami which was about to hit the basketball world with the Golden State Warriors and he will once again be in that role because no one believes the Warriors can win another championship again even with the return of Klay Thompson at least I don’t.
The NBA is a business it is not a love affair and sure there will be mixed emotions with Draymmond Green being traded away from the Golden State Warriors from many Warriors fans but so long Klay and Steph are out there the pizza has the sauce and cheese it just needs the toppings. For as much as Draymmond brings to the table Kevin Durant is no longer there and the Warriors don’t have a strong enough bench to help compensate for Draymmond’s lack of contribution as a scorer. I saw the Cleveland Cavaliers limit Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and force someone else to beat them 2016 and it wasn’t successful which was why Kevin Durant was brought over who put the Warriors over the top for good.
Andrew Wiggins was fantastic this past season for the Warriors and showed up for them in the play-in tournament scoring 20+ points against the Lakers and Grizzlies but he just is what he is at this point on the offensive end. Good enough to get you 30-40 points any given night but will never become elite offensively, the Warriors need a big man at the 4 or 5 spot who can score 15-20 points a night consistently and provide floor spacing. Several names come to mind who will be available in free-agency in Daniel Theis,Enes Kanter, and Kelly Olynyk who can all thrive in the Warriors’s motion offense and knock down open jumpers consistently.
To conclude if I was Draymmond I’d be looking head to Portland or maybe even Boston who is in dire need of exactly what he brings to the table,defense,grittiness, and a voice in the locker-room for a team which boads two young all-stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum whom with Draymmond’s barking could lead to a Boston Massacre next season in the NBA. Draymmond is wanted by Damian Lillard in Portland as well so the list of suitors won’t be short, it’s a win win situation for the Warriors because in all reality they don’t really need Draymmond any longer and he’s only getting older and getting payed over $25 million over the next 3 years. The good thing is I’m sure Danny Ainge and Neil Oshley will roll out the red carpet for Draymmond, as they are both General Managers who will both be looking for just what Draymmond represents, intensity,tenacity, and direction. Till next time.
D-NBA 