Draymond Green's absence sorely felt in Warriors' loss in Denver

Draymond Green is one of the best defensive players in NBA history, but his contributions on the offensive side of the ball often go unnoticed. Green has initiated the Warriors' read-and-react offensive scheme for a decade, which relies on off-ball body and ball movement to put Stephen Curry and others in positions for good looks.

The scheme has been particularly effective since Curry, unlike most point guards, destroys opponents with his off-ball skills rather than initiating plays and running traditional pick-and-rolls. And without his running mate on Tuesday, Curry was forced to be on the ball a lot more, which led to several late-game turnovers. 

Curry, who finished with five turnovers, dribbled the ball into a crowd several times, leading to easy Nuggets baskets. Even Brandin Podziemski and Andrew Wiggins committed vital turnovers down the stretch that helped the Nuggets overcome a 10-point deficit in the final 7:14 of the game. With 20.1 seconds left, Wiggins had the opportunity to tie the game at 117 apiece until he dribbled the ball into a crowd. 

Golden State would have avoided those turnovers with Green on the court. The playmaking forward, who averages 5.6 assists a game for his career, would have organized the offense and ensured his teammates didn't have to work so hard to create scoring opportunities.