OAKLAND — He plays ferocious defense, is a tremendous playmaker, sends a jolt of energy through his teammates and makes enough shots to keep opponents honest.
That’s what Draymond Green does, and the Warriors know how important it is for them.
That only partly explained why they were so eager to have him back in the lineup last Friday after a two-week absence. There is a bigger reason, though, and it goes beyond the regular season.
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The Warriors craved Green’s return because they want to begin earnest evaluation of a frontcourt featuring Jordan Bell, Kevin Durant and Green.
This idea grew as Bell’s playing time increased in the absences of starting center Zaza Pachulia and Green. The coaches liked what they saw, most of the time, and realized Bell, as their most agile, athletic frontcourt player, can run with their starters in ways Pachulia cannot.
The upshot: more Bell and less Pachulia.
The plan accelerated on Christmas Day when, despite the return of Pachulia, who missed the last seven games with soreness in his right shoulder, Warriors coach Steve Kerr still opted to leave Bell in the starting lineup to face the rival Cavaliers.
Golden State Warriors
Though Kerr has not indicated this is final -- and he declined to say who would start at center when asked during his pregame news conference -- it’s apparent that the Warriors have two centers capable of starting.
Expect to see Pachulia against the larger, more physical big men, while Bell will either start or get more minutes when the Warriors face centers that 1) rely on quickness and athleticism; or 2) those that are hybrid power forwards.
Cleveland starts 6-foot-9 Kevin Love, the type of converted power forward so often used as a center in the NBA’s current small-ball revolution.
Houston, expected to be the toughest challenge the Warriors face in the Western Conference, starts 6-10 Clint Capela, who, like Bell, uses wiry athleticism.
Guess which teams are considered the biggest threats to the Warriors winning it all?
The Warriors have realized for weeks that a frontcourt with Durant, Green and Bell getting most of the minutes is essential to their postseason goal of repeating as NBA champions.