The Golden State Warriors were without one of their top players for a considerable amount of time. Draymond Green faced two suspensions, with the second one having an indefinite duration. He sat out 12 games due to his flagrant two foul on Jusuf Nurkic, as the league aimed to establish a precedent following his involvement in numerous controversial situations throughout the years. During those games, the Warriors recorded a 7-5 record, and Green’s absence necessitated adjustments from Steve Kerr. Consequently, after the Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz, the former Defensive Player of the Year acknowledged that his suspension turned out to be a hidden blessing for his team (via Anthony Slater). Green stated, “Honestly, the suspension helped. JK’s absence allowed for a genuine second option for this team… Our offense no longer resembles its previous self.”
When asked about how the Warriors managed to enhance their depth, Green responded, “Honestly, the suspension helped. JK’s absence allowed for a genuine second option for this team… Our offense no longer resembles its previous self.” He did note, “Not that I wanted to get suspended or it was good.”
Although Green claimed that he did not desire or consider the suspension to be advantageous, it inadvertently facilitated Jonathan Kuminga’s emergence as a bona fide secondary scoring option for the team. Green also acknowledged the significant contributions of other players, which aided Coach Kerr in finding additional depth.
Despite numerous rumors suggesting potential significant moves, the Warriors opted to maintain their roster during the trade deadline. They believed that once Chris Paul returns to full strength, they can still make a strong push. Andrew Wiggins has shown slight improvement, and although Klay Thompson’s recent performance has not been stellar, he expressed a willingness to accept a reduced role for the betterment of the team.
The Warriors find themselves in a position where they need to make up ground in the highly competitive Western Conference. However, they have displayed recent improvements, and a team like the Warriors should never be underestimated.
According to the Source thecoldwire.com