Draymond Green isn't a player other teams can simply duplicate when you consider all the things he brings on both ends of the court, from energy and leadership to ball-handling and distributing to defense and hustle. And we didn't even mention his perimeter shooting.
Take Green off the Warriors, and clearly they are nowhere close to a 48-4 team entering the second half of the season -- he's that important. Even my young son knows he's the heart and soul of Golden State.
But this story isn't about Green, it's about the Warriors setting a blueprint that other teams around the NBA are racing to copy. It's about the importance of having a power forward who can do more than rebound and defend, like so many around the league have done for decades.
The game is rapidly evolving, and shooting from all positions on the floor matters more than ever. Don't believe me? Try keeping up with the Warriors using a point guard with limited range, or a power forward who's a liability on the offensive end. It's darn near impossible.
That's what makes Washington's gamble on Markieff Morris so interesting.
In case you missed it, the Wizards gave up a protected first-round pick along with Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair to land Morris shortly before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, a risky move given Morris' numerous run-ins with coaches and teammates in Phoenix but also one that gives the Wizards more of that Warriors' blueprint.
Is Morris anywhere close to Green? No. But he checks some boxes on the offensive end of the court, to be sure, and likely will start for the Wizards. For a player like Morris, seemingly in the middle of his prime at age 26, this is a huge opportunity to put the past behind him and play more like the guy we saw average 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals for the Suns last season.
Additionally, Morris leaves a Phoenix team tied with Brooklyn for the third-worst record in the league (14-40) for a Washington team that still has a shot to leapfrog teams like Chicago, Charlotte and Detroit for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Morris is still available in 25.5 percent of ESPN leagues, and now is the time to pick him up if he can be had in your league. As far as the Suns are concerned, you can expect Alex Len, Mirza Teletovic, Humphries and possibly Jon Leuer to pick up the minutes vacated by Morris. That will be something to watch closely in the days ahead as we all wait and see what interim head coach Earl Watson chooses to do. Potentially, Phoenix could also go to a three-guard lineup once Brandon Knight returns, teaming him with both Devin Booker and Archie Goodwin, but that is probably less likely given the lack of size of Knight and Goodwin.
Looking around the rest of the league, Morris isn't the only notable player whose value is on the move. Over the years, several other big names have either raised their game or fallen off after All-Star Weekend.
Here are some to be aware of:
Risers
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: If you remember what Westbrook did during the second half of last season, you know that there's no slowing down with Oklahoma City's dynamic point guard. In fact, over the years he has raised his scoring average a full point (from 21.1 to 22.1 PPG) after the All-Star break.
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers themselves are worried that they've worn out Paul by relying on their star point guard too much while Blake Griffin has been sidelined, but history has been kind to Paul during the second half of the season. His scoring has risen from 18.4 to 19.3 PPG and he has more assists as well (9.8 to 10.2 a game).
Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics: The first-time All-Star always plays with confidence and swagger, and he always seems to take his game up a notch during the second half of the season. The fifth-year pro has improved as a scorer (16.3 to 17.3 PPG), distributor (4.8 to 5.5 APG) and rebounder (2.4 to 2.8 RPG) after the All-Star Break.
Fallers
Paul George, Indiana Pacers: George continues to try to find his way with the new-look Pacers offense this season, going through good and bad stretches, but one constant since his arrival in the league back in 2010 has been a noticeable drop-off in the second half of the season (17.8 to 14 PPG, 6.3 to 6 RPG, 3.2 to 2 APG). Those are huge differences when you're talking about a player widely considered to be one of the game's top 20 players.
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors: Lowry enters the second half of the season ranked No. 5 on the ESPN Player Rater -- that's how great he has been in 2015-16 -- but history suggests he'll have a difficult time keeping it going the rest of the way. Lowry has seen his scoring drop from 13.4 to 12.7, his rebounds fall from 4.1 to 3.7 and his assists decline from 5.8 to 5.3 after the All-Star break.
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets: Walker really has elevated his game in his fifth NBA season. In fact, he is No. 17 on the player rater entering Thursday. That being said, he has trailed off as a scorer and rebounder and become more of a distributor after the All-Star break in years past (17.9 to 15.1 PPG, 4 to 3.5 RPG and 5.1 to 5.9 APG). If you believe these trends continue this season, it's worth considering whether Walker is the right fit for your team the rest of the way.