How Draymond Green Neutralized Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is going to be a superstar in this league and judging by the numbers in the first round series against the Golden State Warriors, his superstardom is coming quickly. Davis averaged an amazing 31.5 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots per game.
Pretty dominant numbers; however his opponent — and snubbed Defensive Player of the Year — Draymond Green neutralized Davis with his three-point shooting and relentless defense, helping the Warriors complete a clean sweep on Saturday night.
Green in no way matched Davis point for point, but he did draw Davis to the perimeter, where he is much less effective on defense. Davis is at his best when he is protecting the rim, not running after a power forward that will hit the occasional three-pointer.
The result? Green had an outstanding series, averaging almost 16 points, grabbing 13 rebounds (more than Davis) and dishing out six assists per game while shooting 48% from the field. He also blocked a shot and had 2.5 steals per game. This all from a guy that is an undersized power forward playing against arguably the best and most talented power forward in the game.
Draymond Green is the 1st player with 4-straight point/rebound double-doubles w/at least 5 assists in the playoffs since Tim Duncan in 2003
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 26, 2015
While Davis was unstoppable in Game 4, putting up 36 points on 14-of-20 from the field, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking three shots, Green may have had the same impact on the game as Davis did. Green scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 8 assists, including 20 of those points in the first half where the Warriors essentially ended the Pelicans’ playoff run.
Green got off to a red-hot start, hitting his first four shots of the game, including two three-pointers. He finished the quarter with 13 points, ending it with another three and giving the Warriors a 31-24 lead. That three was huge for the Warriors because the Pelicans had just cut the lead to four and seemed to be picking up some momentum as the second quarter approached. His first quarter also put in the Pelicans’ mind that there was one more perimeter threat in addition Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Meanwhile, Davis scored 11 points in the first quarter but did not have the same impact on defense because Green was shooting so well from the perimeter. As a result, Green’s perimeter shooting prowess opened it up for everyone else on the roster to drive to the hoop because their rim protector was out on the perimeter dealing with Green. The Warriors finished with 44 points in the paint because of this strategy and resulted in their best offensive game of the series.
Don’t get me wrong, Davis was brilliant in Game 4 and not even Green could not stop him. In the first three games, Green neutralized Davis by limiting him to under 50 percent from the field and his shooting percentage may have lower if the Warriors were not so worried about three-pointers in the fourth quarter in Game 1.
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Green did not shoot well in the first three games but he didn’t have to because of the depth of the Warriors. Davis needed to be dominant for the Pelicans to have any chance of winning any games in the series and as we saw, that did not happen. When he did finally dominate a game, it was too late because his opponent was having the same, if not more of an impact on the game.
Now that the Warriors have dismantled the Pelicans, Green will have a new test in the next round. It will be either the big men of Memphis, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, or the big men of Portland, Robin Lopez and LaMarcus Aldridge — two formidable frontcourt tandems in the NBA.
Green will have to do the same thing he did to Davis for the Warriors to reach their full potential. He will need to be a threat from the perimeter and provide the same tough defense on those bigger, stronger guys like he has done all season. If he accomplishes both of these goals, he will continue to neutralize his competition and lead the Warriors to their ultimate goal of a championship.