“When Draymond Green on the bus, the swag turns up” - Kendrick Perkins on the importance of Draymond Green and his ‘big brother role’ for the Warriors
Draymond Green was defended as Golden State’s “Most Important Player” by perkins" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kendrick Perkins on Wednesday’s episode of ESPN's “NBA Today.”
Draymond Green is the 'big brother' for the Warriors
Perkins is well known for arguing in favor of Draymond Green’s importance to Golden State. This time around, Perkins talked about Green’s return and how much it would help the Warriors:
“It would fix everything. When you’re talking about energy, you’re about swagger, you’re talking about those young guys, force on the defensive end, that’s not the Warriors. But if you got Draymond Green there, your big brother, it’s a difference-maker, and a lot of people just can’t relate when I say he’s the heart and soul of the team.”
I had to break down to all the casuals on NBA Today what I meant about Draymond Green being the Most Important Player on Golden State!!! Carry the hell on… https://t.co/jGGoF9cHrE
The Warriors (43-19) are in second place in the Western Conference, behind only Phoenix (49-12). The Memphis Grizzlies (43-20) are close on Golden State’s tail.
Green has been out since Jan. 6, when he was on the floor for the start of Klay Thompson’s return. Green claimed tightness in his left calf, which was then evaluated and tied to a lower back injury. Draymond has been sidelined as a result of a left L5-S1 disk injury.
In the 34 games Green has played, he has averaged 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Green is well known for holding relatively mild stat averages but still maintaining a large contributing presence. Perkins has always been an advocate of the difference Green is able to make.
Perkins said:
“When Draymond Green on the bus, the swag turns up … The drip is there, they got the swag there because they know, 'I got this warrior, I got my guy with me.'”
Draymond has averaged 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this season, clearly a large defensive presence. Green has always been known for his backcourt abilities but is often regarded as having less of an impact than his Golden State company.
The argument is held in his stat averages alone, but as Perkins outlined, the energy changes in Golden State when Draymond is there. That kind of effect on any team is priceless.
Green's low stat averages also speak to his immense basketball IQ and maturity as a player. In having the “Splash Brothers” – Steph Curry and Klay Thompson – beside him for Golden State, Green has no need to shoot. Hoarding shots when there are two dominant scorers would be an insult to the Warriors’ chemistry.
Holding such low averages but still being able to make a difference in the team's energy is a priceless asset. That is what makes Green such a valuable player and so necessary in Kendrick’s eyes.
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