Draymond Green’s legacy is built on winning, not flashy numbers. His floor IQ, defense, and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good have made Golden State’s backcourt with Curry and Thompson more lethal and the team a four-time champion. Wade’s praise on Wy Network underscores Green as a winner and leader, whose impact goes beyond any individual stat line.

That mindset translates to fantasy in multi-cat terms: Green’s value rests in assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, defensive stats, and efficient team play, rather than scoring volume. The Wade tribute reinforces the idea that Green’s durability and versatility fuel sustained success for the Warriors, a fact that savvy fantasy managers should weigh when projecting defensive metrics and multi-category contributions this season.

In short, Green’s magic is about how he elevates teammates and wins games. For fantasy players, that means targeting him as a steady facilitator and defensive stat accumulator, even in seasons when his points dip. The Warriors’ culture, shaped by Green, remains a blueprint for balancing floor leadership with championship upside.

Christmas Day features Dallas at Golden State on a stage suited for boostable fantasy value. Klay Thompson returns to the Bay, a potential heavy-volume shooter in a refreshed Mavs rotation that still leans on three-point gravity. Cooper Flagg is slotted into the starting lineup, offering rookie intrigue and potential value as Dallas leans into a youth-driven, title-minded roster. Luka Doncic’s and the Mavericks’ big-picture storylines collide with an aging Warriors core, while Kyrie Irving sits out to recover from ACL injury, pushing usage toward Doncic and Thompson.

The matchup threads a longer Lakers-Warriors/Knicks-Nets energy with a full Christmas slate, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant in possible holiday notes. Bronny James and Dylan Harper headline intriguing subplots: Bronny’s first Christmas Day spotlight for the Lakers, and Harper’s top-draft-pick season pressure against Flagg’s growth arc in Dallas. While the other marquee games attract attention, Thompson’s Bay Area homecoming and Flagg’s first Christmas Day push offer meaningful fantasy upside in spots where shot-tolerance and ball handling will decide rotations and late-game run.

Dallas opens the season Oct. 22, so this Christmas stage also serves as a tone-setter for a revitalized roster chasing title contention. Expect Thompson to command touches around the arc, with Flagg drawing early starter minutes and Doncic amplifying fantasy output even with Irving unavailable. The day’s schedule reinforces the broader picture: a league-wide emphasis on high-leverage, multi-positional players who can contribute in scoring, threes, and assists during crucial minutes.

In short, Christmas Day isn’t just marquee theater; it’s a fantasy laboratory where veteran sharpshooters, rising rookies, and star-caliber ball-handlers collide in pivotal rotations that will define early-season value. For fantasy players, this is a week to identify boosts from Thompson’s volume, Flagg’s floor time, and Doncic’s dynamic usage against a Warriors squad that will test Dallas on a national stage.

Dallas unveils a 2025–26 schedule built for marquee moments. Anthony Davis arrives for a full season, Cooper Flagg joins a loaded Mavericks frontcourt, and Kyrie Irving eyes a midseason return from ACL rehab. Dallas targets 45–50 wins and a top-6 seed in a brutal West, with health and quick chemistry atop the priorities. The season opens with Flagg facing Wembanyama in a high-profile rookie duel, while Christmas Day pits Dallas against Golden State and a possible LeBron–Luka chess match looms in the backdrop. The NBA Cup adds early-season stakes, underscoring the importance of every marquee tilt.

Key late-year dates loom: MLK Day against New York brings a Kyrie–Brunson guard battle, and the club will chase consistency as the West deepens. The plan hinges on Davis anchoring with Doncic and Irving re-entering form, while Flagg grows into the versatile piece Dallas envisions. If health cooperates, the 47–35 projection outlined could feel conservative given the talent and schedule gravity.

Golden State is facing three 8 p.m. Pacific starts at home this season: Oct. 28 vs Clippers, Dec. 2 vs Thunder, and Jan. 13 vs Trail Blazers, all on NBC as part of the league’s new Coast 2 Coast Tuesday package. The opener on Oct. 21 vs the Lakers is 7:30 p.m. PT. These late starts are the first this century for the Warriors and arrive amid questions about fan feasibility and the NBA’s load management culture, especially with cross-country travel and primetime calendars. The shift could pressure fans with early mornings or school schedules and intensify the debate about resting stars, even in marquee matchups. Fantasy and betting angles will hinge on rotation strength, rest patterns, and how the Warriors’ depth handles longer on-court windows and travel. NBC’s consistent tip times will also influence viewer habits and game-day prep across time zones.

As the NBA leans into late starts, teams like Golden State may lean more on sharpshooters and depth pieces who can contribute in variable minutes. The schedule may shape lineups, with potential drops in efficiency for some stars on back-to-back or cross-continental trips, but could also create upside for players who benefit from increased run in shorter windows. In fantasy and DFS, expect premium value to shift to players who absorb bigger roles on these nights and to careful attention to rest patterns on weeks with multiple late starts.