Draymond Green: The Most Important Player for the Warriors

By Greg Chin | May 8, 2015

In the first round of the Golden State Warriors’ playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, the spotlight was cast firmly on Stephen Curry and the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. The storyline of the series was advertised as the two breakout superstars and MVP candidates taking on each other, each with something to prove – Curry out to show that the Warriors are a legitimate title contender, and Davis proving to the world that he could continue his regular season performances in the postseason.

More from Warriors News

And while Curry dominated the box score with his scoring and playmaking, it was Draymond Green’s defensive effort on Anthony Davis that ultimately gave them the edge over the Pelicans. The Warriors had no answer for Davis’ athleticism and length, but Green worked tirelessly against him and made him earn every point he scored.

Now facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round, this bout has been billed as the clash of playing styles. The Grizzlies prefer to slow down the tempo and rely on their big men, while the Warriors like to get out and run, wreaking havoc in transition.

Oddly enough, Draymond Green is once again the most important player for the Warriors in this series.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Golden State Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret that the Grizzlies’ offense will focus on Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol getting the ball in the paint and creating scoring options from there. Randolph and Gasol are two of the best low-post players in the league, and what they lack in athleticism and speed, they make up for in strength, size and bulk.

Green had to put his athleticism to the test against Davis in the first round, but now, he has to showcase his strength against Z-Bo. Randolph will back his opponents down and drive his shoulder into their chest in order to inch closer to the basket. Green is not one to back down from a physical contest, and we’ve seen him come up strong against bigger forwards in the post during the regular season.

But it is on the offensive end where Green can provide the swing that the Warriors need to win the series. The Grizzlies’ defensive scheme is a very conservative one. When defending pick and rolls, they prefer their big men drop back into the paint to contain the dribble drive. We saw in Game One when Z-Bo was defending in the pick and roll, that he would leave Green open at the perimeter just to prevent Curry from attacking the rim.

As a result, Green attempted eight threes from the perimeter and made four of them.

In Game Two, the Warriors weren’t able to get into an offensive rhythm. Their outside shots weren’t falling, which gave the Grizzlies’ defense even more impetus to pack the paint, which led to crowded passing lanes, which gave way to turnovers – all resulting in a snowball effect for the Warriors’ offense.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots the basketball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

This is where Green needs to affect the game. His three-point shooting is a floor-spacer. If his shots are falling, it forces Randolph further away from the paint, which gives the Warriors’ ball-handlers more room to drive to the rim. An aggressive inside game can lead to more open shots at the perimeter, which is how the Warriors’ offense thrives.

Green needs to exploit his matchup against Randolph, who plays as though he has bricks in his shoes. Green may not be the quickest player in the league, but his agility and quickness is enough for him to blow past the slow-footed Randolph, and could be an advantage that the Warriors utilise in Game Three.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Draymond Green is the league’s future prototypical ideal power forward: a tweener who is strong enough to defend power forwards, agile enough to defend small forwards, spreads the floor with his three-point shooting, isn’t a liability on defense, and rebounds well. As the league shifts towards a quicker tempo, traditional power forwards like Zach Randolph are being discarded for quicker and more perimeter-based shooters similar to Green.

Draymond Green is the future, while Zach Randolph is the past. This series matchup was advertised as a clash of the team’s playing styles, but it could easily be about Green and Randolph’s contrasting individual styles.

Next: Warriors' Game Three Adjustments

More from Blue Man Hoop

Home/Warriors News