The Greatness of Draymond Green

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 3+ months, chances are you have heard the Golden State Warriors are on pace to break the Michael Jordan lead Chicago Bulls regular season record of 72-10.

When watching the Warriors dominate their opponents on most nights, one player sticks out like a sore thumb as their most valuable/important player, Draymond Green. Yes, that is correct, you read that name correctly, Draymond Green.

Going back to the Finals last June, the Cavaliers found temporary success by forcing Green into shooting three pointers. Green wound up shooting 26% in that series from downtown. That game plan simply does not work anymore. At the time of this article being written, Green is shooting .409% from three this season. No longer can you help off of Green to assist in containing Curry/Thompson because of the high rate Green is hitting his three’s. Green is showing supreme confidence this season in his three ball. No signs of hesitation like he was displaying last June in the Finals, which allows him to play freely and his teammates to have the confidence in him knocking down the shot. At the high clip in which Green is hitting his three’s, teams are spread out so thin across the court, especially with their deadly lineup of Curry/Thompson/Barnes/Iguodala/Green, that it makes guarding the Warriors nearly impossible.

During the game Friday night at home vs. Indiana, Mike Trico stated that in a recent interview with Green, Draymond mentioned that during the offseason he studied passing (angles and timing), which has catapulted Green into the top of the league in assists, and one of only 5 non “guards” (LeBron, Bird, Grant Hill, Wilt, Green) in NBA History to average over 7 in a season. Additionally, when Curry was out for 3 straight games earlier in the season, Walton drew up a play at the end of the Houston game where Green was the decision maker, which ended up in a layup and sealing the win. Obviously, Green has the confidence of the coaching staff to draw a play for him to determine the end result, which leads me into the perfect segway; Green’s decision-making skills.

Golden State has perhaps the most unstoppable action in the NBA right now, the Steph/Draymond high screen and roll. So simple, yet so difficult to defend. With teams trapping Curry on those high ball screens, Curry is making the correct decision to pull the second defender away from the basket and pass to an open Green, which turns into a 4v3 on the backside. In this situation, Green is coming full speed ahead into a 4v3 situation with two shooters in each corner and a big typically around the block area. I know what you’re saying, this is an easy decision, whoever is open is who you pass it too or if they stay home you go finish yourself. My response would be, easier said than done, my friend. If it were that easy everyone in the NBA would be successful at executing this play, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Draymond’s natural ability to make a split second decision, nearly the correct play every single time, makes him so special. The lob he tends to throw to Bogut or Iguodala is such a difficult pass for big guys in the NBA because it requires such touch and precision that most guys just simply do not posses. The greatest skill a player can possess is unselfishness, and nobody embodies that more than Draymond.

With Green being listed at a generous 6’7”, he is perhaps the most versatile player in NBA history, creating a “position” all for himself. Side-note, when you impact how the game is played, you’re amongst legendary status, but I digress. With Green’s size, strength, and quickness, he is able to defend anyone on the court. There have been times Green was matched up on a DeMarcus Cousins, or a Kyrie Irving, ranging from all different types of skill sets, and doing a fantastic job containing them, which lead to 2nd place in Defensive Player of the Year award last year; an award in which Green should have won, but to each his own. Furthermore, Green is an elite rebounder, pulling down 9.5 per game, which for someone under 6’9” is super impressive. Additionally, being at his size with, on most occasions, bigger defenders guarding him, once Green grabs a defensive rebound there is no need to find Curry. Green has the ability to lead the break and make the correct decision which puts extreme pressure on the opposing team because his defender is more times than not, slower than Green which gives Golden State numbers on the break. Who doesn’t love having numbers on the break with the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history filling the lanes?

Green’s versatility leads to the most unstoppable lineup in the NBA at the present time. That lineup includes Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Iguodala, and Green. Like I mentioned earlier, with this lineup the defense is spread so thin with shooters all across the court – yes Iguodala hits at a .387 clip from 3 – it is impossible to help off of anyone. Plus, everyone on the court can handle the ball, makes great decisions, and of similar size allowing them to switch every screen on defense putting immense pressure on the opposing team to execute. Teams are still trying to figure out how to compensate for the Warriors small ball lineup, do you put a big in on Green or do you go small and get eaten up in the paint? Either way, the results have not looked good for Golden State’s opponents, thus far. Now the question begs, how many players can you replace Green with and get the same combination of skills, effort, energy, and intelligence while not demanding isolation touches? In my personal opinion, the only player in the league right now that is the closest would be Paul Millsap – coaches, get him in the all-star game! – but he is not a good enough distance shooter the way Green is. There may be “better” talents you could plug in, but in case you do not know, sports are about fit, roles, and chemistry.

Lastly, the biggest difference in Green’s game and those of most players in the league are the intangibles he posses. Green has the biggest heart of any player in the league not named Russell Westbrook. Players tend to think when you are described as a “hustle guy” “glue guy” “emotional leader” those are adjectives for a player who is not “good,” which could not be further from the truth. I tell kids all the time, if you posses the three E’s you will separate yourself from the pack, they are: Energy, Effort, Enthusiasm. I do not care what your talent level is, if you posses those three skills as a player, there is not one coach in the world that will not play you. Those three skills make up for your lack of physical abilities that other players may have, but if you posses supreme talent along with the three E’s, your value becomes off the charts. Enter, Draymond Green. Draymond is the emotional leader, the heart and soul of the engine that drives the Golden State Warriors, end of discussion.

Plus/Minus is a neat stat that encompasses a player’s box score information and the team’s overall performance to estimate a player’s performance relative to league average (0.0). Just to give you a glimpse into the effect Draymond has on the game verses Stephen Curry, Curry’s net +/- on vs. off the floor is 13.6. Draymond’s net +/- on vs. off the floor is 13.9. Both of which are historically great!

At the end of the day, the NBA is always filled with tremendous talents, but there are only a handful of unique players at any given time. For the most part, we’ve seen players with similar games to the ones of previous eras. That’s what makes the few that break the mold so special. Green is doing things nobody else has ever done, championing a role he essentially invented. It’s him who makes the Warriors what they are, more versatile than any team before them.