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Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green is the team’s true MVP

By Justin Fried

PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers in game three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Moda Center on May 18, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MAY 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers in game three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Moda Center on May 18, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors now sit just one win away from their fifth consecutive NBA Finals due in part to the unselfish play of the versatile Draymond Green.

Successful NBA franchises have at least one or two all-stars on their team — that’s a necessity in today’s NBA. But what separates the contenders from the champions is the pairing of those all-stars with so-called “glue guys.”

These are players who help facilitate the scoring, play sound defense, and act as a leader on and off the court. In essence, they do the dirty work. They do everything.

Draymond Green is that player for the Golden State Warriors and fortunately for the back-to-back NBA champs, their glue guy just so happens to also be an all-star.

Green’s complete arsenal was on full display in the Warriors Game 3 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. The three-time NBA All-Star recorded his third triple-double of the 2019 NBA Playoffs scoring 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and picking up 12 assists to lead Golden State to a resounding 110-99 victory.

But stats cannot and do not tell the whole story.

Green was a catalyst on the court in every conceivable way. His divine court vision and passing made him the facilitator on offense as he regularly dished to teammates for open looks. Green didn’t need to score — even though he ended up with 20 points — as the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were relied upon as primary scoring options.

Curry, in particular, continued his recent string of impressive outings dropping 36 points in 37 minutes leading the team in scoring. But Curry’s standout night was undoubtedly influenced by Green’s play.

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Green’s high-octane, fast-paced style of play made it difficult for Portland’s defense to keep up. The former Big Ten Player of the Year was best when he would dribble up the court, taking it coast-to-coast and driving past defenders for an easy layup. But when Green wouldn’t take it to the rack himself, he was usually able to find an open teammate and Curry was the primary beneficiary.

But it wasn’t solely Green’s facilitating ability that made him so effective in Game 3. Rather it was the one aspect of his game that’s become his calling card that helped continue to make him stand out: his defense.

Golden State went into the second half trailing by 13, primarily due to the team’s lackluster defense. The Trail Blazers had scored a whopping 66 points in the first half and were shooting at an incredible 40% rate from behind the arc.

However, the Warriors defense became much stingier in the second half allowing just 33 total points, four less than Portland amassed in the second quarter alone. Green was a huge part of this picking up four steals and being the driving force behind a Warriors defense that forced Portland to shoot just over 30% from the field in the second half.

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Still, some things about basketball and sports in general just can’t be measured. We can look at Green’s assist numbers or his points totals or even his defensive rating, but what can’t be accounted for is heart.

Draymond Green is the heart and soul of this Warriors team. He is the engine that keeps the Dubs’ machine chugging along. He is the heart that continues to pump energy throughout the Warriors organization. And he is the indestructible battery that seemingly never runs out of life.

He is everything to the Warriors.

With the duo of Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins still a good while away from returning, Green is as important to the team as he’s been in years. Despite being the forgotten member of the “fab five” during the regular season, Green has returned with a vengeance and is back to show that he still is one of most underappreciated players in the entire NBA.

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Beyond stats, beyond analytics — Green is the backbone of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. And this postseason, he has been the team’s true MVP.

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