The Warriors blew out the Thunder on Saturday as they faced off for the second time this season. While Steph Curry struggled shooting in the game, a big night from him wasn’t required to beat the young Thunder squad. Draymond Green didn’t struggle though and had arguably his best game of the early season. He put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, a near triple-double in only 26-minutes of play.

He also shot 75% from the field and 50% from three-point range, two high marks that helped the Warriors jump out to what felt like a 20 point lead the whole game. If you look at the 6 games that Draymond has played, one of his stellar performances have come against the Thunder, so it’s no surprise that he put up such great stats at home against them.

What might surprise some fans though, is the fact that the one loss that the Warriors suffered this season, Draymond shot 40% from the field. In all the other wins, his field goal percentage was 50% or higher and he limited his turnovers to under or right at 4. This improved play is a step up from the last few seasons, but some are quick to forget that just a few years ago he was a key part of the Warriors scoring success.

His numbers from this season, although only 6 games in, closely represent his stats from the 2016-17 season. This season he’s averaging 9.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7 assists, again nearly a triple-double, while shooting 59% from the field and 60% from three. That three-point percentage is second-highest on the team, only behind the underrated Gary Payton II. Although they are taking fewer attempts, the fact that they are knocking down open shots is a good sign.

If he can do that consistently this season, then the Warriors should be in good shape. Not to mention that his stats could see even more of an increase once James Wiseman and Klay Thompson come back. Needless to say, fans haven’t seen Draymond play with Klay and Steph since 2019 and haven’t seen them play as a true trio since 2016.

It was in that 2016 season that Draymond had the best season of his career, and while most fans don’t expect him to be able to replicate that exact style of play this season, it is a good sign for him that his numbers are improving for the better this season. Not to mention that he is a key part of the Warriors defense, where they currently rank 7th in the league in opponents points per game. However, they rank 1st in assists per game thanks and part to Draymond’s assists. He ranks first on the team in assists per game with 7.

Again, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise as Draymond knows how to find Curry and get him open. He is the most experienced on the team when it comes to getting him and other guys open. It is clear to see when watching the games that Green knows how to create space for Curry and for himself. But one area where he could improve on is when the double comes off of the screen on Curry. Most times Steph will hold the ball or pass away to someone else. When Green gets the ball in the middle of the floor, he is a good decision maker but he could be slightly better when it comes to scoring the ball himself.

The three-time NBA champion knows this and has been recorded on occasions saying, “If I can get Steph Curry, the greatest shooter ever the ball, why would I shoot it?” It’s all about finding that perfect balance between scoring and passing. But so far, Draymond has done that well this season as the Warriors sit at the top of the standings in the West.

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