30 NBA Players in 30 Days: Draymond Green
For the final day of our 30-day preview of the 2022–2023 NBA season, we focus our attention on the reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors. Before the little “incident” that happened between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, the Warriors were having a wonderful offseason. Even though they had to say goodbye to critical rotation pieces in Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II, they found nice additions in Donte DiVencenzo and JaMychal Green. Their young core from the last two drafts had a full showing at Vegas Summer League, were fully healthy, and are now projecting to be important players in the rotation this year (any Moses Moody fans here?).The Warriors were helping the NBA with their global reach by having a couple of preseason exhibitions in Japan against the Wizards. It seemed as though the suffering of the last couple of seasons was over, and a new era of Warriors basketball was just beginning with the incredible Finals win against the Celtics. And then, “The Punch”, “Punch-Gate”, or whatever you want to call what Draymond did to Poole, happened. Since then, The forward from Michigan State has been fined by the team after the video was leaked to TMZ. Two days ago, both Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins received contract extensions to have them both on the team through 2027. As mentioned by Warriors’ writer Marcus Thompson II, the Warriors made the conscious decision to lock up their newer players before Draymond, prioritizing the future over one of the cornerstones from the last decade. Certainly, “The Punch” made it easier for Bob Myers, Joe Lacob, and the rest of Golden State’s front office to make that decision, but it is a meaningful choice nonetheless. That is why the player that will affect the Warriors’ success this year is Draymond Green.
If we’re looking at the team in a vacuum, Draymond would not be the one I think to affect the team’s success. Everything that does not really involve whatever happens on the court is why I think he will have a direct impact on the team. If we were picking a player in the rotation, I would say James Wiseman. The 2020 2nd overall pick missed the last season and a half due to a procedure to repair a torn meniscus and multiple instances of the knee swelling up post-surgery. He enters his 3rd season after his first full training camp and preseason, and will be the backup center for the Warriors. Given the notion that Kevon Looney will not play all 82 games this year, and considering all of the great things Looney did for the team throughout the playoffs, Wiseman has a lot of ground to make up for a team that wants to repeat as NBA champions. The big question I would have when we evaluate Wiseman is whether he will be able to give the Warriors any sort of impact on both ends during the playoffs. Will he be able to play to the level the team needs by then? The team has 82 games to figure that out. In Draymond’s case, and why I believe he will have the biggest impact on the team this year, is purely based on the team’s chemistry and morale. We’ve seen several fragile situations for the Warriors that include Draymond right at the fulcrum of them all. From the groin kicking chronicles, to the KD yelling match that we do not need to rehash for the hundredth time, this situation with Poole seems to be the apex of them all. Poole and Draymond are the two players on the Warriors that probably have the loudest ego on the team. It is no secret that they get into vocal arguments, but it’s okay to have a healthy dose of those guys on a team led by Stephen Curry. What was most shocking about what happened was that Draymond seemed to “sucker punch” Poole, and whether or not it was because of the heat of the moment or what, Draymond crossed the line. You can hear it in Poole’s voice from his first press conference since after the situation. Poole usually is not a “fun” player to interview. Most of his answers to the media are very dry and never controversial, but his tone talking about Draymond and saying how they’re just there to “play basketball” and “win championships” was way more somber than usual. It’s easy to tell that he is genuinely hurt emotionally and mentally from the incident, but he has the professionalism to admit that even though Green was a close friend that hurt him, he can sweep it under the rug to concentrate on the bigger goal.
Now with Draymond knowing that Poole and Wiggins are now extended and that this is a huge year for him to show the franchise and the rest of the league that he is still a valuable player on the market, how does this affect his play and attitude throughout the year? He was not suspended any games for his actions, but he will definitely have to regain a level of respect and trust from his teammates, especially the ones who are not named Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson. Green has a player option in 2023–2024 that is worth $27.5M, and it could be possible that will be the last year that he receives a salary that hefty from any team in the league. The problem with Green trying to fight for that last big contract is that his skillset is not valued in dollars the way that maybe it should. He is an undersized, defensive anchor and has a telepathic connection with the two greatest shooters to ever live on offense. It’s fair to say there is no one like him in the league. Players who have skills that translate to counting stats are seen to get more money on the open market, which is why the electric scorer Poole and two-way star Wiggins have extensions that are worth more than $100M guaranteed. Green has the most value with the Warriors, but his relationship with the team just got a lot more complicated in a matter of seconds just 10 days ago.
This “saga” between Draymond and the franchise is a snowball that has only just started rolling down the mountain. There are several different outcomes for this situation, and it will change rapidly depending on how great or poorly he is playing, and how his public interactions with Poole and the rest of the team are perceived by the media and fans. One could tell me that Draymond stays very professional the whole year and slowly rebuilds the trust from his teammates to make it hard for the front office to make a decision on paying him the contract he wants, and I would believe them. Another person could tell me that Draymond ends up being this lightning rod for more dramatic stories, quotes, and interactions, and the downfall of this Warriors’ legendary core starts now, and I would believe them too. For a player who has had one of the most polarizing careers in recent NBA history, I can’t say it is all too surprising that Draymond finds himself in his predicament. That is the double-edged sword that is his greatness. The Warriors need him on the brink of explosion during the most important games of the season because that is when he plays the best. Whether the team will put up with another outburst is up to them to decide, and ultimately, what will determine Draymond’s future with the Warriors.
