NBA Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green Should Continue To Start For Golden State Warriors

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By @bfitzsports

Draymond Green Starting

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors are one of only three unbeaten teams remaining in the NBA, and they made a statement on Wednesday night by annihilating the Los Angeles Clippers by a score 121-104. The Clippers had no answer for the ball movement of the Warriors, who shot a scorching 60 percent from long-range. One of the reasons the Warriors have gotten off to such a hot start is the insertion of Draymond Green into the starting lineup.

Green, who is entering his third season in the NBA, is a versatile player who gives Steve Kerr and the Warriors greater flexibility at the power forward position. Green is starting in place of David Lee, the often injured power forward who makes a boatload of money. Green is a better two-way player than Lee, as his ability to step out and hit jumpers makes the Warriors’ offense even more lethal. Green is considered by many to be a stretch four, something that is very hard to find in the NBA today.

With all of Lee’s accolades and ability, he should not be starting with Warriors’ top unit. It would be better for him to come off the bench and play with the second unit. When Green is on the floor with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, the Warriors have the ability to stretch the floor even more. Curry and Thompson are knockdown shooters and the best backcourt in the game, Barnes is starting to find his own and can occasionally knock down the outside shot and Bogut gives them a man under the rim who can catch lobs and grab offensive rebounds.

Adding Green into that gives you a player who can step out on a pick-and-pop and knock down a jumper. He is not the most consistent shooter in the world, but he still gives the Warriors another threat that opposing teams have to worry about. There are games, like last night’s game, where Green will go off and hit three triples and score 15-plus points. Those games are likely to happen once or twice a month and should not be considered a sure thing. He is also a better fit defensively, because he can guard either the three or four position depending on what the other team has out on the court.

The Warriors are out to prove that they deserve to be mentioned in the upper echelon of teams in the Western Conference. If they want to keep up their incendiary start, they should keep Green in the starting lineup. He gives them more options and more flexibility on both offense and defense.

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