So originally Draymmond Green is from Saginaw,Michigan and he also played college basketball for Michigan State but Detroit is only about a hour away so why wouldn’t he consider signing with the Detroit Pistons next summer? Most would say he will likely take less money next summer to continue to chase another title or 2 with the Golden State Warriors but the Detroit Pistons’s situation wouldn’t be a bad one to consider. They just drafted Jaden Ivey who looks like he could be a watered down version of Dwyane Wade and anyone who watched Dwyane Wade in his prime with the Miami Heat would understand I am actually giving the kid a compliment. Jaden Ivey is a very intriguing prospect, couple him with 6’8″ Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons could possibly boast the best backcourt in the NBA 2 seasons from now.
Why would Draymmond Green leave arguably the 2 best 3 point shooters in NBA history to join two players in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey who have yet to really prove much? Maybe Draymmond Green is sick of not receiving any recognition for any of the Warriors 4 championships over the past 8 years? I have not heard anyone mention he played a big part in the Warriors winning 2015,2017,2018, and 2022 which is sad really because although I will never support the Golden State Warriors due to being a LeBron James fan anyone who says Draymmond had no impact on those rings does not know basketball or is probably not watching the actual games and just skimming through play-by-plays and box scores. Draymmond Green has always gave the Warriors an edge, Steph and Klay don’t scare anyone Draymmond does. It’s his unwavering confidence,grit, and competitive pedigree which does not show up in box scores which makes the Golden State Warriors lethal on both ends.
The Detroit Pistons’s roster is practically abysmal, only two names stick out and it’s Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham. I don’t include Saddiq Bey because he is more of a super-role player and yes I am well aware of his couple of high-scoring outputs this past season but Saddiq won’t be the player who will move the needle for the Pistons it will be Cade and Jaden. The Pistons need Draymmond Green, he brings over leadership and experience to a team which has had a losing culture for quite sometime. The Pistons thought they had the next great-dup in Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond but that was short-lived, after that died out it’s been mediocrity ever since. Once again I believe Draymmond should leave the Warriors just to pursue a new challenge. Why keep helping an organization whome gives you zero credit for your contributions? Ever since the Warriors beat the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals all i’ve heard is how Stephen Curry is now better than LeBron James and how he is the 2nd best player ever behind Michael Jordan.
Draymmond’s defense vs Nikola Jokic in the first round isn’t mentioned, neither was his rebounding and defense late in the Memphis series, or what about the close to 20 point triple double in the Finals versus the Celtics? No let’s talk about him fouling out through the series vs Boston right Stephen Curry fans? Draymmond never received credit for keeping Kevin Durant in line in Golden State when he thought he was bigger than the team, he also never received credit for being the only one to show up Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals versus the Cleveland Cavaliers going off for 30+ points while Steph scored 17 and Klay only 16. You get the drift? Why waste away in Golden State win another ring maybe 2 while Steph gets all the glory? You want to be like Scottie Pippen Draymmond who was a clear sidekick to Michael Jordan through their historic run in the 90’s and never be mentioned? And sure Draymmond has never been the offensive player Scottie was for the Bulls but he brought a lot of the same things, rebounding,defense,play-making, and versatility.
Championships? He has 4 of them what more does he have to prove? It’s not to say well now Draymmond Green will join forces with Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham and become the best player on the team after years of playing in Curry and Klay’s shadow, he’ll likely be the 4th option behind Cunningham,Ivey, and Bey but he will become the vocal leader they currently lack. Head coachDwane Casey is not a man of many words, neither are Cunningham and Ivey from what I’ve visually observed, it’s sort of like Steph and Klay sure their games are loud as they are both explosive scorers but they aren’t the most vocal indiduals either. Curry and Klay alone won’t mentally get inside your head throughout a game but Draymmond will, he’ll bark at the refs,get physical with opposing team’s bigs, give you a hard foul just to let you know the Warriors are out for blood and he won’t have a problem letting you know it. Cade and Jaden have the talent to become all-stars maybe even superstars but they need someone like Draymmond in there ear to bring out the best in them.
Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are different from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, they will both be better shot-creators throughout their respective careers in the NBA and of course they are more athletic now than Steph and Klay have ever been meaning they’ll have the legs to play at least 4-5 seasons together and play some darn good defense. For Draymmond Green it will be an adjustment as the floor won’t be as spaced out as much since Cade and Jaden aren’t and never will be elite 3 point shooters but they’ll be absolutely terrifying on fast-breaks and drives to the rim and so long the PIstons keep 2 3 point shooters with Cade,Jaden,and Draymmond the offense will be fluid. Watching how poor Marcus Smart,Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum did attacking the Warriors defense in the 2022 NBA Finals lead me to believe you need guards who can actually break down a set defense and not turn the ball 5000 times the way Tatum,Brown,and Smart did.
To conclude I know Draymmond Green is no longer in his prime but he’s got another 3 years left in the tank before disappering into oblivion. The Warriors have their hands full figuring out how they will pay not only Draymmond Green but also free-agents to be Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. The Warriors are the favorites going into this coming season, some feel they might 3-peat but I just don’t see either happening, the NBA is a business and if the numbers aren’t right for Draymmond’s extension next year he is GONE. Distractions will be huge for the Warriors as an organization this coming season, the meda will grow louder and louder every day that goes by and Draymmond,Wiggins,and Poole remain unsigned. Draymmond needs a new challenge in his playing career, uplift the Pistons out of mediocrity and watch Curry and Klay lose in your absence over the next few years that will show all the Draymmond haters that basketball is a team game and that they took you for granted for all those years, till next time.
D-NBA 