Golden State Warriors power forward, Draymond Green, must become a better three-point shooter this season.
The Golden State Warriors have become dominant by having almost zero weaknesses, both offensively and defensively. Draymond Green could change that. He’s still an elite defender, but he must improve his shooting.
Must is a strong word, but Green’s three-point shooting would certainly create much more spacing in the Dubs electric offense. Ever since the Warriors 2015-2016 season, notoriously capped off by the Dubs blowing a 3-1 Finals lead, Green’s shooting has regressed.
That season, he shot 38.8% from deep. While not an elite number, that would make him an above-average three-point shooter. Following that season, the Warriors added superstar Kevin Durant and won the next two NBA Championships.
For Green, shooting-wise, he’s regressed, but in many other areas, his numbers have also declined.
Oddly enough, from deep, Green’s attempts per game have increased both seasons from 2016, yet he’s dipped his shooting percentage about 8%. That’s definitely not ideal, and it seems uncommon that a superstar’s addition would hurt Green’s shooting.
However, it might just be a mental thing for Green. The three-time All-Star has seen his “wide-open” three-point attempts increase in frequency in both the past two seasons, yet he’s shooting a worse percentage from deep.
How can that be?
One of the league’s toughest players, Green might be in his own head when lining up a three-point shot without a player in a five-foot radius.
After all, part of the Cavs strategy in the 2018 NBA Finals was to dare Green to shoot. They played significantly off Green, and as for the postseason as a whole, it worked. Green shot less than 27% from deep during the 2018 postseason.
Let’s be honest here. The Dubs could certainly use the Green that shot 38.8% from deep to step up, but they are far from needing Green to even contribute offensively. Green’s value has been on the defensive end, where he’s seen immense success.
When the team loses some of their dynamic offensive star power, potentially during the 2019 free agency, they’ll need Green to shoot well. Green must regain his confidence and become a three-point shooting again, if not for this season, for the distant future.