Draymond Green Reflects on Warriors’ Aging Dynasty on His Podcast
On his self-titled podcast, Warriors veteran Draymond Green candidly discussed the challenges of being part of an aging dynasty. In a conversation with Danny Green, Draymond shared his thoughts on adjusting to his team’s decline.
“It’s going to be very important to define who we are going to be. We [are] getting older,” Draymond said. “[The Warriors] are not the same basketball team that we were in 2019, or even 2022 for that matter. It changes. I think Steve is doing an incredible job of becoming more open to Jonathan Kuminga having the ball more, Kuminga being in the pick and roll, and running some isos for Kuminga. It takes time to adjust to that when you’ve had the level of success that we’ve had.”
As a four-time NBA champion, Draymond is used to dominance and success with the Warriors. Alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, he helped form a dynasty in the West and established himself as one of the best defenders in history. For years, they enjoyed unprecedented success.
However, much has changed since 2022. Key players like Jordan Poole, who was essential to their last championship, are no longer with the team, and other original members like Andre Iguodala have also departed. Additionally, Klay Thompson has faced significant injuries, including a torn Achilles and ACL in consecutive offseasons.
A major factor in the team’s decline is the advancing age of its core stars. Steph is now 36, Klay is 34, and Draymond will turn 35 next March. Given their age, experience, and the physical toll on their bodies, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be the same players they once were.
After finishing 10th in the West last season and losing in the play-in game, the Warriors didn’t come close to making a deep run, raising serious concerns about their future competitiveness. In the highly competitive Western Conference, the margin for error is slim, and the Warriors need to improve at every position to keep up.
Having watched his team dominate for so long, Draymond acknowledges it will take time to adjust to this new reality. However, he is willing to place more trust in the younger players if it means setting the team up for future success.
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