Draymond Green is a winner…he always has been. Sometimes, it gets lost in some of the things he does outside of purely hooping - even he, himself, gets distracted by some tough calls against him during the course of games - but let’s be clear: he’s wired to win, it’s what he knows how to do best.
Yesterday’s Game 5, on the road, against the Sacramento Kings is a prime example. For the second, consecutive time following his suspension in Game 3, Green “mutually agreed” with Coach Steve Kerr to come off the bench.
In a vacuum, you might think, “Well that’s not the best decision in a pivotal, 2-2 series. Game 5 is usually a swing game and Draymond’s too critical to how the starting lineup operates for him to come off the bench.”
But Coach Kerr, who’s no stranger to rolling the dice (in fact, he thrives on it), and Draymond, who visualizes the game at a very high level, realize both the importance of having Jordan Poole engaged offensively (works way better, in rhythm, as a starter than as a reserve) and having a strong punch off the bench.
Since the move, Coach Kerr’s implored Draymond to trust his offense more, something that will pay dividends for Golden State moving forward - he has a point: despite his offensive skill and the lack of attention paid to him (by defenders) when sharing the floor with Steph, Klay, Poole & Andrew Wiggins, Draymond has a clear opportunity, each night, to be ultra-aggressive as a scorer.
Well, it worked out big time in Game 5: he looked incredible en route to dropping his 1ST 20-POINT GAME* SINCE CHRISTMAS 2009. It’s quite amazing and speaks not only to GSW’s depth but the progression of young players like Poole & Wiggins, that Draymond hasn’t reached 20 pts in almost four years. We’re not talking about a LeBron James-level scorer but Draymond certainly has a lot of talent that he normally chooses not to use, like his “Dirk-esque” fadeaway in the 4th-quarter last night.
And I get it, he normally prefers to get Steph, Klay, etc. involved before establishing himself, which is another reason why the move to the bench makes sense. Kevon Looney has evolved to the point where he can play the “Draymond role” (in terms of getting guys open), and then some, in the starting 5, so it opens up everyone’s true game.
Now, Draymond can focus on getting himself going and others, later, once he’s established a better flow. GSW could become more powerful because Draymond would then threaten (at least) double digits each night with (possibly) higher assist numbers once guys like Steph are already in rhythm down the stretch of games.
Who knows if the move to the bench is permanent, though?
Maybe it’s just matchup-based and Green will be back starting in Round 2, should the Dubs advance.
Either way, Golden State is MUCH better off with an aggressive Draymond Green on offense. He’s too talented and critical to success not to showcase all his skills nightly.
*finished w/ 21 pts, 7 boards, 4 steals, 4 boards & a block in almost 32 minutes