As Draymond Green and the Warriors attempt to get back to the mountaintop of the NBA Finals after last year’s disappointing end to the season, he has become more important than ever.

Stephen Curry and company slinked into the offseason with the dubious distinction of losing a series 4-3 after winning 73 games during the regular season. While blowing a 3-1 lead, to add insult to injury.

Kevin Durant decided to join their cause in the offseason which immediately boosted their chance of getting back to the NBA Finals. Recently, KD got injured which has made their ultra-versatile forward have to carry more of the load.

It has worked out for the Warriors and they have returned to their winning ways after a brief drought that they had to fight through. Green has more to do with that than any other member of the team.

On nights when they don’t have it, their power forward calls out that mindset and gives them a ton of energy all over the floor. During a game last week, he had 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, six blocks and four steals to secure a victory against the Sixers.

This year, Dray is rated a 90 in NBA 2K17, but he wasn’t so highly regarded coming out of Michigan State and Tom Izzo’s program. There were concerns about his conditioning and the time he spent in East Lansing.

Here are how his ratings shake out over time:

NBA 2K13 - Not Featured

This is more on the Golden State organisation than anything that 2K Games did necessarily. He was a raw prospect coming out of college and was suspiciously missing from the game although many fans of the team were excited about him.

Still, he received playing time and still wasn’t in the game on day one which is just curious when thinking about this one.

NBA 2K14 - 67

Green’s game improved even more in his second season and he decided to cut weight over the offseason. His sophomore campaign saw flashes of the great defense that spectators have grown to associate with the mercurial forward.

David Lee’s injuries forced more time for him and more players started to take notice of the young players as he had the rugged defence to guard centers and could still help out on the perimeter players in the league.

NBA 2K15 - 77

The modern incarnation of Green was born this year. He became a jack of all trades that did a little bit of everything for his team. This is also the year that the team became a favourite for 2K players as the Warriors were splashing threes everywhere.

Dray offers players the sort of versatility that they have craved for years out of the basketball simulation. He could step out to the three point line and stretch the floor in ways that few players can.

NBA 2K16 - 82

Coming off an NBA Championship, Green’s popularity with the casual fan is at an all time high, he and his squad are one of the squads that are used by a majority of the players near the release of the game.

His shooting got better and his reputation as a defender has become a household talking point by that time. It only makes sense that he would leap into the upper echelons of the ranking system.