Draymond Green has accepted his share of the blame for the Golden State Warriors difficult season. The veteran forward served two separate suspensions for violating league policy. He also missed some time due to injury. Without Green in the lineup, the Warriors struggled to find a settled rotation, forcing Steve Kerr to continually chop and change his starting five.
When speaking on a recent episode of the “Point Game” podcast with former All-Star guard John Wall, Green said he needs to ensure he’s available for a bigger portion of his team’s games moving forward.
“When I really take a step back and look at it from an honest advantage point, I gotta play,” Green said. “I gotta be out there. I played 55 games this year which is not nearly enough to help this team be successful. I played 55 games, [and] we’re 46-36. So if I don’t miss 27 games, we win half those games. Half of 27, we’re a 50-plus win team. It’s a totally different ball game. For me, it’s just understanding the stakes, understanding where my growth need to be, and being available for my team.”
Green is an elite defender. He also boasts an exceptional basketball IQ, which often gives Golden State an advantage on both sides of the floor. The Warriors are a much better team when Green is part of the rotation.
Green has three more years left on the four-year $100 million extension he signed last summer. He will likely be hoping he can help lead the Warriors to at least one more championship in that time. Of course, his best chance of doing that, is by staying out of trouble and being on the floor with his teammates.
