Draymond Green's impact on success for the Warriors goes far beyond any stat sheet could show
The opener against the Nets. Christmas Day in Milwaukee. The second half of last Thursday’s game versus the Knicks.
The Warriors looked miserable, and for all these losses, they were missing their “heartbeat”.
2017 Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green was integral to Golden State’s dynastic run and has sparked some of the Warriors’ limited success this season.
This isn’t to say, of course, the team is unbeatable with Green on the floor – Golden State was given a thorough thumping at the hands of the Jazz on Saturday – but even as his on-paper stats have declined, he can still be the straw that stirs the drink.
Three years removed from his last All-Star appearance, Green entered Monday attempting just 4.8 field goals a game to the tune of a 38.6% effective field goal percentage, with both totals his lowest save his rookie season.
Green has shone on the stat sheet when it comes to being a point-forward, however, and entered Monday 11th in the association in assists per game (6.8), leading to 188 points scored, second on the team to Stephen Curry. After missing the start of the season with COVID-19, his defense before Monday also made him 18th in the league in defensive box plus/minus, which estimates how many points per 100 possessions his presence on the floor defensively impacts above a league-average player.
But with Green, his value doesn’t necessarily come from WS/48, VORP or a litany of other advanced stats – he certainly isn’t the player he used to be – but it comes from his mere presence as a player and a leader.
Clips of his counseling rookie James Wiseman, who many regard to be the future of the franchise, have shown Green’s worth not just as a facilitator, but as the eyes of the team with an ability to direct traffic.
His energy in pushing the ball up the floor off of a rebound, with his larger frame flying up the court and posing a threat at the rim, also keeps the opponent’s defense out of step like few others can. A passer like him also creates hockey assists, captured when the defense pays too much attention to Curry and a cutter dives to the basket. Curry also still has a strong gravitational pull, and the offensive dominance of the Curry-Green pick and roll which so abused the Rockets in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals can still be tapped into.
Green’s presence as a helper on the defensive end, combined with his ability to play the five for Steve Kerr on a roster sorely missing reserve big man Marquese Chriss makes his value incalculable. Sure, he catches air more than occasionally on his threes, but for a Warriors team which has relied on switching screens for so long, his length and strength combination is still at an extreme premium.
Draymond will always be remembered as part of an unprecedented past run.
And while his early returns stats-wise in 2020-21 have been nothing to write home about, and his instrumental role may be more impactful between the lines, he can nonetheless still be a key piece in the unknown future for the franchise.