Draymond Green's latest suspension could cost him starting role with Warriors
Draymond Green's indefinite suspension could cost him his starting role with the Golden State Warriors. The veteran forward will likely be replaced by Jonathan Kuminga for the duration of his time away from the league. Kuminga has been knocking on the door of Golden State's starting lineup this season and could now seize his opportunity.
In the latest episode of FanDuel TV's "Run It Back," The Athletic's Shams Charania noted that Kuminga could steal Green's spot in the starting lineup and potentially make it a permanent change.
"There's a sense around the Golden State Warriors, and there's a sense around the basketball community, that you want these guys, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, to just ride off into the sunset," Charania said. "I think Steve Kerr has been a guy that wants to give them every opportunity to do it. You have to make the best decision for the organization, and that means going with Jonathan Kuminga moving forward."
Kuminga is in his third NBA season. He has played in 22 of the Warriors' 23 games this season, starting one of them. He's averaging 11.9 points and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 47.5% from the field and 28.3% from three-point range. Kuminga will bring athleticism and length to Golden State's rotation. At just 21 years old, he will also benefit from playing with the starters and will have every opportunity to prove he's talented enough to take over for Green on a permanent basis.
Green, 33, could be an ideal bench contributor at this stage of his career. He could help organize the second unit and provide connectivity when checking in to games. Between him and Chris Paul, the Warriors would have significant continuity within their rotation.
However, Green may not take kindly to being used as a bench player. This is a four-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year we're talking about. Nevertheless, Green put himself in this position. Kuminga's job is to try and steal Green's role, so the veteran forward must expect a battle once he eventually returns to the rotation.
The Warriors have an exciting group of young talent. Green's suspension could be the first step in slowly phasing their aging core out of the starting lineup as they begin to plan for the future. However, that process is unlikely to be something that happens overnight, regardless of what happens with Green moving forward.
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