Getty Andre Iguodala dribbles the ball in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Golden State Warriors may have a difficult time replacing Draymond Green for a critical stretch of upcoming games, but one analyst believes a longtime veteran could have the best chance to fill the large void he leaves.
Green entered the league’s health and safety protocols on December 26 and is now in danger of missing the next four games. The Warriors are already without starters Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, and Green’s absence leaves the team without its offensive facilitator and best defensive stopper. One potential replacement could be waiting on the bench, an NBA analyst says.
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Shorthanded Warriors
As Jannelle Moore of the Daily Democrat noted, the Warriors could have a few avenues to replacing Green including moving Nemanja Bjelica or Juan Toscano-Anderson into the starting lineup. But the best chance to replicate the full impact Green has on the game — or at least make up for as much as possible — could come from veteran Andre Iguodala. He has also been hampered by knee swelling, Moore noted, but is not in health and safety protocol and could be available for Tuesday’s game against Denver.
“In Iguodala, you’ve got a player that knows the system inside out and can provide playmaking and defense. He knows where and when to get Curry the ball,” Moore wrote. “Moving [Otto] Porter to the four may be a bit risky but he has size and can shoot and provide spacing.”
After the shorthanded Warriors took down the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns on Christmas, they move into a difficult stretch that includes back-to-back games with the Nuggets followed by a trip to Utah to take on the Jazz and a return home to face the Miami Heat.
BREAKING: Draymond Green reportedly has entered COVID-19 protocol
The Warriors could get a bit of a boost before heading into that stretch. Poole is eligible to return on Tuesday, so the team could have one of its top scoring options back.
Steph Curry’s Bigger Load
Green’s absence could ripples that spread beyond just his immediate replacement. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area noted, Green has played a significant role in creating open looks for the team’s two-time MVP.
“No doubt, though, the Warriors are a dramatically weaker team without Draymond, whose overall impact is different than that of [Steph] Curry but no less significant,” Poole wrote. “Indeed, it’s hard to imagine the effectiveness of Curry won’t be diminished without his longtime sidekick.”
Perhaps my favorite stat:
In the regular season, Golden State is now 341-91 since Oct. 2014 when Steph Curry and Draymond Green are active.
The Warriors have already seen some other players stepping up to fill in for their missing teammates. In Saturday’s win over the Suns, the veteran Porter caught fire at the end, scoring 10 of the team’s final 12 points and earning some big praise from Green.
Otto Porter Jr. turned 🆙 in the final minutes to seal the deal for the Warriors 🔥
“Otto Porter, huge shots, but not only that, Otto all year, has been incredible on the glass and for someone that they said was a lousy defender, he’s been one of the better defenders on our team and you can’t say enough about how that guy is stepping up to the challenge and answering the bell night after night after night,” Green said after the game, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
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