MSU Legend Draymond Green, Warriors' Reign Possibly Coming to an End

Former Michigan State star Draymond Green has been at the forefront of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty for the past decade. However, after starting the season strong, the Warriors are barely holding on to a spot in the play-in tournament.

Jan 7, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and head coach Steve Kerr react during the first quarter against the Miami Heat at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Michigan State legend Draymond Green has been a part of the preeminent dynasty of the 2010s with the Golden State Warriors, but it has become evident that their reign may end soon.

It seems hard to believe that it has been a decade since the Warriors secured their first title during the Steph Curry era by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers to ignite a rivalry that captured the entire league for a good five-season span. 

Golden State has sustained success for over a decade. In every full season since 2012-13, the Warriors have won at least 46 games. That streak is definitely in jeopardy as the NBA playoff push begins.

After starting the season red hot, with a record 12-3, Golden State began to slide, with a record of 7-16 since Nov. 22.

The Warriors are currently 19-19 and in the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

There is a lot of competition for that final spot with the veteran Phoenix Suns right behind, as well as the budding San Antonio Spurs led by Victor Wembanyama, who is also the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, an award Green won in 2017.

The calling card for Golden State over the past decade has been its offense and even more important has been its 3-point shooting. The departure of former all-star Klay Thompson this past offseason has hurt the Warriors as they rank No. 18 in points scored per game and No. 16 in 3-point percentage.

Green has begun to shoot more due to the Warriors not having the plethora of shooting of seasons past. When Golden State won their fourth title in 2022, Green averaged only 1.2 3-pointers per game.

That number has gone up every season since. This season, Green averages almost four per game, his highest amount of perimeter shots per game since 2015.

The young stars that were supposed to carry the Warriors into the second leg of their dynasty haven’t panned out. Selecting center James Wiseman out of Memphis with the second overall pick in the 2020 draft was one of the biggest mistakes, as he was out of the organization by the age of 21.

Also, it seemed like former guard Jordan Poole would be the offensive engine for Golden State, taking over the position Curry has held. But after an altercation with Green and other rumors of poor chemistry, the Warriors shipped Poole out to Washington in a three-team trade in exchange for veteran guard Chris Paul as salary filler.

These misfortunes have cut what seemed to be a thriving dynasty short, as Curry and Green can’t sustain a full 82-game season as they climb into their mid-30s. 

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