The Golden State Warriors are in dire need of a rescue, and Draymond Green might be the one to face the brunt of it. The Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry is out of the team due to patella-femoral pain and will reportedly take 10 more days to recover. The team and the coaching staff have decided to take a significant step to improve the team’s position.
The Warriors are eighth in the Western Conference and have lost five out of their last seven games. In the last game against the Boston Celtics, Green didn’t even score a single point in 19 minutes as a starter. As a result, the team decided not to close the games with him on the floor and give maximum minutes to Steph.
Head coach Steve Kerr relayed the decision and said:
“I think it’s already looked a little different. His (Green’s) minutes are down some. I think we know as a staff that when Steph is healthy we are gonna play pretty much all of Draymond’s minutes with Steph, just to make sure that we’re getting the most out of him offensively.”
Coach Kerr also said that he has informed Green about the team’s decision to limit his minutes and not close games when Steph is not there, and the 4-time NBA champion accepted it happily. The HC added:
“When Steph is not out there, as we’ve seen several games in the last couple of weeks, we may not close with Draymond. We might close with Al, Kristaps, maybe both of them, and Draymond has accepted that. He and I talked about it, and he handled it unbelievably well.”
Green is averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists this season. The team management had to change something with the squad to have a chance to save a play-in spot.
HC Steve Kerr speaks about Draymond Green’s tough night
After Draymond Green’s 0-point night against the Boston Celtics, coach Steve Kerr was asked about him in the post-game presser. He said:
“I thought his approach last night was fantastic. I mean, it was a rough game for him. He kept his spirits up. He was talking to guys on the bench, giving advice. I’ve talked about this occasionally this year, but how you approach the latter stages of your career as a player is so important.”
Even though the Warriors’ forward impacts the game in multiple ways, including his defense, the team requires offensive help. Thus, the team’s decision makes sense. Only time will tell if that will bring any help to the side.
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