Yahoo News 
Draymond Green played for the first time in 23 days and showed in 60 seconds why he's such an integral part of the Warriors
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Draymond Green returned to the Golden State Warriors after an 11-game absence and immediately made an impact.
In the span of 60 seconds, Green had a driving layup, blocked a shot, then made an incredible, in-air assist to Klay Thompson for a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The Warriors survived the Kevin Durant-Green dispute, and Green's return to the team is what will help make them the dominant force that's expected to win a third straight championship.
The Golden State Warriors have won four games in a row and seven of nine, surviving the Draymond Green-Kevin Durant beef that threatened to blow up the team.
The team is slowly getting healthy again, having welcomed back Stephen Curry last week, then Green on Monday.
Green had played just one game after his on-court spat with Durant on November 12. Green was suspended by the team the following game, played the next (a blowout to the Houston Rockets), and then sat for 11 games with a toe injury.
The Warriors got Green back in their 116-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, and he wasted no time reminding everyone why he's such a crucial member of the team.
Green finished the game with 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 29 minutes, but it was a 60-second span at the end of the first half that showed his value.
With one minute to play, Green got beat on a post-up by Karl-Anthony Towns and gave up a basket. He was mad at the referees, and in a heated moment, took the ball full court for a layup.
On the ensuing possession, Green switched on a pick-and-roll and blocked a Derrick Rose three-point attempt.
About 40 seconds later, with time winding down in the first half, Curry fired a lob pass from half-court to Green. The pass was high, and Green didn't have much chance of finishing it. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Green corralled the ball in the air, and kicked it back out to an open Klay Thompson. Thompson knocked down the three as time expired, sending Oracle Arena into a frenzy.
That 60-second span encapsulated some of what makes Green great: his ability to handle the ball, defend, and pass, not to mention his fiery demeanor.
It helps Green, of course, to be surrounded by players like Curry, Thompson, and Durant. Look at how much space he had when he began his drive because the defense wouldn't leave the three other All-Stars.
via NBC Sports Bay Area/NBA
Green also wouldn't twist in mid-air and pass up a layup for an open three if he wasn't passing to one of the greatest shooters of all-time.
But Green also helps unlock what makes the Warriors so special. His ball-handling allows Curry, Thompson, and Durant to work off the ball, and it creates mismatches with big men who then have to defend Green on the perimeter. Green's shooting (though it's been up-and-down for several seasons) also pulls defenders away from the basket and gives his teammates more room to work when they do have the ball.
Green's defensive versatility — his ability to guard all five positions and match up with opposing big men — is perhaps one of the biggest keys to Golden State's success over the last five years.
In the wake of Green and Durant's dispute, there was speculation about what it meant for Green's future with the team. Would the Warriors have to trade Green to appease Durant? Would they eventually let Green go if it meant re-signing Durant and Thompson (both players can become free agents this offseason, and re-signing them to max deals will rocket the Warriors' tax bill)?
Ultimately, none of those situations came to fruition. The Warriors' future is still very cloudy, and it's uncertain if Durant will stick around beyond this season. They may decide to move on from Green rather than paying him a max contract that will take him into his 30s after years of rigorous physical work on the court.
The Warriors might still be the best team in the NBA without Green, based on Curry, Thompson, and Durant's talent alone. But Green is what makes the Warriors the Warriors, and it appears they're set to round back into shape now that their core players are healthy.
Read more:
The highest-paid players on every NBA team, from Zach Randolph to Stephen Curry
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The players from LeBron James' legendary 2003 NBA Draft
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The players from Kobe Bryant's legendary 1996 NBA draft
NOW WATCH: The world's largest cruise ship just landed in Miami — here's what it's like on board
See Also:
