Amid all the talk of second stars and 12-man rotations, I made a critical error:
I forgot about Dray.
But with Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, and amid seemingly nothing but young faces and new bodies, Green’s impact in the Warriors’ back-to-back home wins against the Pelicans was undeniable. He had the Warriors’ offense humming and put Zion Williamson in jail. Thirteen years into his Hall of Fame career, Green looked as impactful as ever on both ends of the court.
It’s the kind of play that can easily be taken for granted, even by those who have seen it and praised it for a decade.
It’s the kind of play that’s won titles in the past and is necessary for the Warriors to be something more than what they have been in recent seasons.
“He’s still one of the best defenders in the world, that’s for sure,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
That’s no accident, either.
“I wanted to come into this season in great shape. I know if I come into the season in great shape, that’s the key to me having a great season and the team having a great season,” Green said.
The question now is whether this kind of play from Green will be constant. If it is, that changes the paradigm for these Warriors.
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Draymond Green Jr. throws a ball to his father Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) before the start of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The presumption, made by yours truly and so many others, is that while Green can still deliver supernova two-way performances reminiscent of the good ol’ days, those bursts would be sporadic or infrequent. The dude’s been in the league forever (have you seen all the pads he wears when he’s on the bench?), he has his side gigs and a full family life taking up his time off the court, and smarts and guile can only cover up for so much on it.
Following a disastrous 2023-24 season defined by bizarre suspensions that left the basketball world—and Green—wondering if it was the end of the line, it felt fair to suggest that the Warriors’ forward was that he was going to not-so-smoothly ride into the sunset of his playing days, transitioning into what will undoubtedly be a long, fruitful broadcasting career.
Pump the brakes on that idea.
There is no mistaking what we’ve seen in the first few weeks of the season: Green looks spry; he’s not just moving around the court, he’s flashing.
Just as important: he hasn’t sacrificed strength for speed.
Williamson was subjected to the full Draymond Green Experience on Wednesday. The one-time phenom (now in his sixth season) was held to 5-of-20 shooting in the second game of the back-to-back. With Green as his primary defender, he went 3-of-12 with four blocked shots and two forced turnovers.
“[I] Spent all summer listening to people talking about Chet [Holmgren] and Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] and what they’re doing defensively,” Green said. “Don’t forget about Dray. I want to be in that conversation as well, and I think I’ve been earned the right to be in the conversation.”
The revolving chips on Green’s shoulder can be a blessing or a curse. We’re clearly in a blessing phase.
Even after the game, Williamson was flummoxed.
“I just gotta make it happen. I don’t put on nobody else… I gotta make it happen,” he said.
“Draymond has a unique ability to be physical without fouling. It’s because he’s so smart,” Kerr said. “He knows the angles; he understands how to use his strength and his long arms to make people shoot over him. He’s an incredible shot challenger.”
It’s early days yet, and the Warriors have played relatively light competition (that will change on the team’s upcoming five-game road trip), but with Green’s excellent defense as the fulcrum, the Warriors are second in the league in defensive rating (98 points per 100 possessions) so far this season.
Such success is a necessity for this team.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) guards against New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (1) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“Getting stops and getting out and running. I feel like that’s become our identity,” Green said of the Dubs, which have, indeed, embraced a go-go-go style on offense, largely because they’re not consistently starting possessions with inbounds passes.
Green has been nearly as impactful on the offensive side of the court as well. On Wednesday, his full-court outlet passes were a sight to behold, and his ability to run the offense — always vital — has been highlighted with only one point guard, Brandin Podziemski in the lineup. (And Podziemski’s point-guard abilities are very much in question.)
And then there are the 3-pointers.
No one will ever suggest that Green has a pretty jump shot. It’s been suggested he appears to be wearing a backpack while he shoots.
But last season, he shot 39 percent on his highest per-game attempts since the ill-fated and Curry-free 2019-2020 season.
This season, he’s shooting just as often — 12 attempts in five games. He’s made six of them. Teams will keep leaving him open. When Green sinks those open 3s, the Warriors are almost impossible to beat — the Dubs are 53-7 when Green gets nine or more points from beyond the arc in a game.
Without Curry and Wiggins, ensuring that the magic number is hit is critical.
“Steph’s not out there, and Wiggs is not out there, which means the first open shot you get might be the best look you get throughout the possession. [When] playing with Steph the first open shot you get is not the best shot you’re going to get, because the defense is so overreactive to him [that] they’re giving you that shot. It’s a little different,” Green said. “So I tried to come out with an aggressive mindset and know that if the shot is there, you have to take the shot, because it’s going to allow this offense to move. Steph moves everybody.”
It’s been a hell of a start for the Warriors — the exact kind they needed.
It’s been a hell of a start for Green.
Those two concepts aren’t mutually exclusive.
Maybe this is just an early-season mirage. You’d be a fool to automatically extrapolate a week of play over the next six months.
But following an offseason where Klay Thompson left for Dallas, and all the talk was about getting Curry a second “star,” Green’s early impact has made one thing clear:
The Warriors already had that second star, and when he plays at his best, his impact cannot be overstated.
