Author: Monojit Mandal
Coach Steve Kerr openly admitted that Draymond Green’s confrontation with Jordan Poole in the preseason had a significant influence on the Golden State Warriors’ season. Kerr emphasized the importance of Green’s return to the team next season, saying that their title hopes depended on his presence.
Kerr stated emphatically during his closing press conference on Tuesday: “If Draymond doesn’t come back, we won’t be a title contender”. We’re aware of that. It is vital to our success and to who we are. I desperately want him back. After the Warriors were defeated in the second round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers, Green’s future emerged as one of the team’s main concerns this summer.
Although Green has declared his desire to remain with the Golden State Warriors and compete for a five-time championship with his teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, his future with the organization is questionable.
Green’s contributions to the Warriors’ success have been fundamental, as he shines as an excellent defensive blocker, defending players from various positions and, at the same time, acting as a facilitator on offense, setting up Curry and Thompson for their lethal three-point goals. His explosive tendencies manifested themselves periodically, such as when he hit Poole in practice in October and received a one-game punishment for stomping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis during the first round of the playoffs.
Kerr acknowledged that the blow had damaged the Warriors’ unified culture over the years, which played an important role in their four titles in eight years. Despite showing signs of its promise in the latter parts of the regular season and recovering from a 2-0 series deficit against the Kings, the club struggled to find its footing.
Rebuilding the team’s coherence is one of the main challenges facing the Warriors this off-season, as well as improving their transition efficiency, reducing fouls during defensive play and maximizing the potential of their young players to complement the champion trio of Curry, Thompson and Green. Notably, Jordan Poole regressed in the playoffs compared to his significant contribution in last year’s title run, with his shooting percentage dropping to 34.1% and his scoring average at just 10.3 points per game.