In early August, Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors’ power forward, put an end to all of the rumors involving his future on the west coast.
Green, the second round, 35th overall pick, was drafted by the Warriors in 2012 and inked a four-year, $100 million contract extension, guaranteeing he would remain with the team for five more years. This also ended the speculation that the Warriors would not re-sign Green, and/or Green would go elsewhere next year in the free agency.
With the recent departures of Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, and Andre Iguodala, many analysts are skeptical of the potential of the 2019-2020 Warriors roster and don’t think Green should have signed an extension until his current contract was up. The skeptics have ruled out Draymond Green as a future power forward to be reckoned with due to his diminishing play over the years and continuous onslaught of injuries. However, the critics don’t take his overall career statistics nor his personal values and work ethic into context when making predictions about not only Green’s play but the Warriors as a whole team as well.
First, Green’s career statistics speak for themselves. With 583 games played, starting 385 of them, and a total of 4,825 regular-season points, it is hard to understand the questioning of Green’s value to the Golden State Warriors. Throw in 123 playoff games in which he started 109 of them and scored 1,556 points, in addition to an impressive free throw average in both regular- and post-season play, and there is no doubt Draymond is a valuable asset.
Not only does Green have the statistical numbers to pad his resume, he also has many accolades and holds numerous NBA records. Green is a three-time All-Star who won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2016-2017 season. Draymond Green holds 19 career regular-season triple-doubles, which is second in all-time Warriors history. He became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with less than 10 points scored, and he also holds the impressive 46-year-old record for 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, 100 steals, and 100 blocks in a single season, which he picked up 2015-2016. In addition to the league records held by Green, he also ranks in the Warriors’ post-season records at least ten times, including first in blocks.
Draymond Green’s career stats, accolades, and number of records help validate $100 million contract extension on their own, but it is Green’s loyalty and respect for the team he has called home for his entire career that actually makes Green an invaluable player. He could have easily chosen to play out the rest of his current contract, and then max out his pay next year, but the organization is more than a paycheck to Draymond Green.
In a recent interview with ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols, Green revealed he likes being an underdog; it gives him motivation, and he likes to prove people wrong. Green also stressed that teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have been there with him since the beginning, and he has no intention of “bailing on our baby,” referring the to the Golden State Warriors as the trio’s baby. Many people may have already discounted the 2019-2020 Warriors team, and to them, Green says, “Thanks. You got me where I am today. I look forward to where they take me again.”
Draymond sits down & opens up about his $100 million contract extension: “What this contract tells everyone is that all the garbage they tried to say about me, they were wrong."
Also: how he found out KD was going to the Nets, and why he likes the Warriors being underdogs again. pic.twitter.com/uvqJB0EGVG— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 14, 2019
The Warriors may have lost several key players of its organization during the summer’s free agency, but the teams consist of more than those players are gone, and it is the current team who will bring success to the Golden State Warriors. Green is a key core member of this team and has proven himself on all facets. He is undeniably worthy of his $100 million contract extension and will continue to be a huge asset to the organization.
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