The Golden State Warriors have won 8 of their last 10 games and 10 of their last 13 games. One huge reason for their resurgence has been the return of Draymond Green, who served a suspension that lasted more than a month. In this wake, Shaquille O’Neal shared a graphic on his Instagram story recently that showcased Green’s positive impact on the Warriors. The original post from the Instagram handle of NBA on ESPN highlighted the Warriors’ record since Green’s return to action.
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Shaq shares the impact Draymond has had since returning from suspension pic.twitter.com/H1iJbQuXc2
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) February 26, 2024
Since January 15, when Green returned, the Dubs are fourth in the NBA with an 11-5 record. Meanwhile, they are number one in points per game with 124.4, a result of Green being a top-notch facilitator and screen-setter. The addition of Green’s skills has also prompted the Warriors to be number one in assists with 31.1 dimes a game.
Considering the veteran forward’s box-out skills and low-post physicality, the Warriors are also number one in rebounds with 48.4 per game. These stats are a breath of fresh air in what has been an otherwise rancid season for the Dubs. Despite capturing 11 wins against 5 losses since Green’s return, the Dubs are currently in tenth place with a 29-27 record, which makes them Play-in bound as of now. After acquiring the sixth seed last season, this is the second straight season when Stephen Curry and Co. have fallen short of expectations.
One huge reason for their downturn has been inconsistencies from key players like Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Therefore, the rumor mills have kept churning around these two players. As for Draymond Green, this has been a season of inner turmoil. Amidst this turmoil, Shaquille O’Neal has had his back.
Shaquille O’Neal defended Draymond Green when he faced the world’s wrath
In mid-December, when Green punched Jusuf Nurkic in the face out of the blue, NBA analysts, fans, and even his coach Steve Kerr, slammed the defensive forward. Many justified his indefinite suspension. However, Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t one of those people. He pointed out that this is how Green has always behaved. During his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, he wondered why people were surprised about Green’s behavior.
“There is nothing wrong with Draymond. Y’all treating him like he’s crazy. He’s not crazy. He’s been playing like this the whole time. How many techs does he average a year? How many times you see him going to the referee? This is the way he has to play to become Draymond Green,” argued Shaquille O’Neal.
At any rate, Green’s value to the Warriors is pretty crucial as is evident from the graphic shared by Shaq. With him in the frame, they are much better on both ends. This is one of the reasons why the Warriors have stuck with him despite continuous violations. With the postseason inching closer, it will be interesting to see if Dray can help the Warriors make a turnaround.
