In the three seasons since Draymond Green was the last All-Star, Golden State has experienced both victory and defeat in the finals, posted one of the worst records in the team’s history and reformulated one of the most dominant formations of all time. For all that, while the Warriors are looking for a return to the playoffs, Green remains their final catalyst.
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Green is about to have his most difficult start to the season since becoming a full-time starter in 2014-15. But his team did not suffer from his difficulties: after finishing with the worst NBA record in 2019-20, the Warriors are seated for a game of more than 0.500 to 21 games this season. Although they are missing Klay Thompson for the second year in a row, Stephen Curry’s return from a broken hand and his partnership with Green have increased the franchise’s fortunes. Despite the drop in average scores and kick efficiency, Green continued to facilitate and direct his teammates’ workload, filling in crucial gaps while Golden State balances restraint with player development.
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Green’s career path is aligned with the Golden State’s return to greatness. When the choice of the second round of 2012 went public, the team reached the stratosphere, breaking a 40-year title drought. Throughout the team’s five-year finals, Green has established himself among the most versatile and impactful players of an entire generation, totaling 80.3 RAPTOR wins over substitution – more than all but two players: Curry and James Harden.
Green makes his team go
Highest percentage of team wins in triple-double games for NBA players with at least 10 of those games
| Triple-double games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Number | Win% |
| Tom Gola | 23 | .913 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | 10 | .900 |
| Paul Pierce | 10 | .900 |
| John Havlicek | 36 | 0.889 |
| Draymond Green | 34 | 0.882 |
| Jerry West | 17 | 0.882 |
| Kyle Lowry | 16 | 0.875 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 87 | 0.874 |
| David Robinson | 15 | 0.867 |
| Scottie Pippen | 21 | 0.857 |
An easy way to see Green’s impact on your team is to see what happens when he leaves. Including the playoffs, Green has accumulated 34 triple-doubles over his nine-year career. In these games, the Warriors maintain a winning percentage of 0.882, tied as the fifth best player in NBA history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Green has not registered a triple-double in over a year, however, and he has only had a double-double this season. This trend is undoubtedly related to the injuries that have bothered him in the past two seasons.
Green lost 22 of the Warriors’ 65 games last year, so he lost most of the training ground before the start of this season after testing positive for COVID-19. When he managed to return to the team, he injured his foot and lost the first four games of the season. The All-NBA team, which is on pace for the lowest utilization rate of its career (12.6 percent), recognizes that it has yet to resemble its peak this season.
“I think I’m two or three weeks away,” said Green after a victory over Detroit on Saturday. “Just continuing to get in shape. My speed is getting there. I dipped the ball today. It was a great moment. I was very excited about that. “
In most cases, it is difficult to see the offensive impact of someone averaging 4.8 points per game, at the pace of Green’s lowest score since 2012-13. For Green, however, his passing, selection and acumen are essential to opening the door for Curry to carry the scoring load.
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According to the NBA’s advanced statistics, Curry’s efficiency varies greatly depending on Green’s presence. Without Green on the court, Curry is shooting well below 40 percent in three in 2020-21, which he has never done in an entire season. Green even assisted in Curry’s last 3-point basket, scoring 62 points, the highest of his career, on January 3.
Steph is better with Draymond
Stephen Curry statistics with and without Draymond Green on the ground for the Golden State Warriors, season 2020-21
| For 36 minutes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FG% | 3 pt% | Use | Points | More less | |
| Green on the court | 49.8% | 47.1% | 28.2% | 29.6 | +3.1 |
| Green off the court | 42.4 | 33.0 | 33.5 | 31.0 | -4.7 |
“It made so much sense that Draymond knew exactly what the situation was, knowing where I was,” said Curry after his big game against Portland. “I thought he wouldn’t look for me, but he should never have doubted it; he knew exactly where I was. “
As the Warriors continue to integrate new players, Green’s pass allowed the move out of Curry’s ball to create more efficient goal opportunities for his teammates, namely seventh-year striker Andrew Wiggins. Although the first overall choice averages 17.7 points per game, well below his career average of 19.6 points per game, the percentage of Wiggins’ 3 points so far (38.5%) easily exceeds that of his first six seasons in the NBA.
Instead of forcing his own offense, Green increased his pennies to new levels. According to Second Spectrum, the veteran has an average of 15.5 potential assists over 36 minutes this season, the highest of all strikers. To begin with, it is at the pace of the highest index of its career. These forms of facilitation are not new to Green. Throughout his more than seven seasons starting, he ranks eighth among all players in potential assists, while leading the league in total passes.
Green also placed promising newcomer James Wiseman under his wing, mentoring the young center. This helps to bridge another crucial gap between the present and the future of the Warriors.
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While Green recognizes the extra equipment he could provide, coach Steve Kerr believes the three-time champion is exactly where he needs to be while these new-looking warriors find their balance.
“I don’t think I need anything more from Draymond,” said Kerr recently. “I think his engagement has been great. He’s really doing a great job leading the team. He’s very vocal in film sessions. He’s vocal in an attempt to lead a group of guys on how to become a team. When he is on the ground, he is active. It helps our defense a lot. “
Former Defensive Player of the Year, Green’s impact on the Golden State remains undeniable. With Green on the court this season, the Warriors are holding on to opponents with just 41.8 percent of field shots. When does he sit down? That figure jumps to 46.3 percent.
Overall, despite his shooting problems, Green’s presence rocked the Warriors’ net rating by 8.0 points per 100 possessions, more than double that of Curry (3.7), who currently ranks fifth in the league in punctuation. Without Thompson to complete the most winning trio in NBA history, Golden State is unlikely to be considered a title contender this season, but neither team will want to face Green, Curry and company in the playoffs.
Green rediscovering his pitching touch would only increase the team’s luck this season, but he continues to prove invaluable with his tendency to feed and choke his hot hand.
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