In 421 minutes with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler on the floor together, the Warriors boast a defensive rating of 105.4 that should be qualified as elite in any context. That pairing does have some offensive limitations but, when surrounded with other competent defenders, Green and Butler have proven to be ceiling-raisers, both on their own and collectively.
Stephen Curry is the other top-tier player for Golden State and, while he does not have a defense-first pedigree, the Warriors have been consistently able to build quality defenses, even when Curry is on the floor. He raises the ceiling of the offense in an almost indescribable way, and it is also worth noting amid Golden State’s 13-12 record that Curry has missed nine games.
