Draymond Green doesn’t care about the moves made in the west as he believes the Warriors will make it back to a sixth straight final.
Draymond Green Still Believes
Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green has never been short on confidence. That’s why it’s no surprise to hear him say that he thinks the Golden State Warriors will make it to a sixth straight NBA final. The Warriors no longer have Kevin Durant who is now with the Brooklyn Nets. They also don’t have Andre Iguodala who is with the Grizzlies with Shaun Livingston retired. There’s also the injury to Klay Thompson that will keep him out of action until at least the All Star break.
None of that matters to Draymond and Steph Curry echoed those feelings as well. They feel they still have their original Big 3 and if they can keep things going until Klay comes back healthy then they will make some noise in the playoffs.
D’Angelo Russell Could Make It a Big Four
Despite things not working out with the Los Angeles Lakers, D’Angelo Russell seized his opportunity with the Brooklyn Nets and made himself into an All Star. The former number two overall pick always had the ability but his professionalism was in question by some in Los Angeles. He was still a very young player at the time and it did seem harsh to ship him out the way they did. The thinking at the time is that Lonzo Ball would be the point guard of the future for the Lakers. While that still could be the case, it appears that Russell is probably the player with the higher upside of the two.
All of that is irrelevant at this point as Russell is now playing with the most talented group he has ever been a part of. While many don’t see how he fits in with their style of play, Russell is a very good passer of the ball and very unselfish when he wants to be. In Brooklyn he had to score the way their roster is made up. On Golden State he just needs to be the best version of himself. Having another facilitator like Draymond Green should help him get used to things with the Warriors.
The Rest of the West
It’s not just the changes to the Warriors that Draymond Green needs to worry about. The rest of the west has seen significant roster movement. Most of the summer has been spent talking about the battle on Los Angeles and rightfully so. Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Paul George all play basketball for teams in L.A. Davis joined LeBron James while Leonard and George teamed up with an already strong squad in the Clippers.
Draymond may not seem concerned with them but he should be. The one thing the Warriors should have over both of those teams is an established style and culture which those teams will have to build on the fly. Los Angeles isn’t the only place that challengers will come from Portland upgraded their roster and the Denver Nuggets are hungry for more success. Draymond Green and the Warriors will have a fight on their hands if they expect to make it six straight NBA finals.
