Draymond Green says his suspension was a blessing in disguise for Warriors
The Warriors have been looking like the team we've come to expect them to be of late, winning five games in a row and eight of their last 12. The resurgence began when Draymond Green returned from suspension on Jan. 15, following which the Dubs' defensive rating has improved drastically.
While Green's return is the common denominator in Golden State's mid-season turnaround, the defensive ace does not view it that way. If anything, Green believes his extended time away from the team helped coach Steve Kerr figure out rotations and empower the likes of Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski to take larger roles.
"Honestly, I think me getting suspended helped, in a weird way," Green said, via The Athletic. "Because JK’s taken off. That has kind of set the stage for our team. Bona fide No. 2 option on our team. Now you got different things we can go to. Our offense don’t look the exact same like it used to look. You’re able to find different combinations that worked.
"Not that I wanted to get suspended or that was good or anything like that," Green continued. "But I do think it kind of helped us find different things we can go to and explore. Now you add me back to the fray, add (Gary Payton II) back from injury, (Chris Paul) will be coming back."
Besides Kuminga and Podziemski, the Warriors have benefited from other fresh legs such as Lester Quinones, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Gui Santos, all of whom have found their roles in the rotation. Furthermore, Stephen Curry is in the middle of a red-hot shooting spree, Andrew Wiggins is starting to play like the All-Star he was in 2022 and Chris Paul is expected to return imminently.
With the All-Star break around the corner, the Warriors have every reason to feel confident about making a late-season push for a playoff spot. They currently sit half a game behind the 9th-seeded Lakers.
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