Draymond Green has never been a scorer, and he never really pretended to be one. However, Green’s decline as an offensive threat over the last few years has been a startling trend for the Golden State Warriors — who gave Green the challenge of being more useful in this department.
Bob Myers says he and Steve Kerr just discussed with Draymond Green the need for him to score more next season.
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) May 24, 2021
Since 2018, Green has averaged 7.4 points on just 43.9 percent shooting. Even worse, his 3-point accuracy plummeted to 27.9 percent over the span of those three seasons. Green was a non-factor in terms of scoring and opposing defenses quickly took advantage of this.
Miraculously, Green still managed to be an elite playmaker despite posing zero threat to score. He averaged a career-best 8.9 assists last season and actually totaled 114 more assists than points.
The Golden State Warriors are looking for Draymond Green to score the ball, at least a bit more, and he is trying his best to start the season.
Even so, the Warriors made it clear to Green that he would need to take on more responsibility as a scorer. He does not need to do anything drastic — just keep the defense honest in order to avoid playing 4-on-5 offensively.
Thus far, Green is off to a good start. He is scoring above his career average at 9.3 points per game this season. More importantly, Green is shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 3-of-5 from the 3-point line.
Green is shooting without hesitation when the Dubs’ offense calls for it (which is not very often). But, his reluctance to shoot in the past restricted them — and even attempting shots is enough to keep things flowing.
The best thing Green has done this season, however, is attacking the basket. Shots in the paint account for 48.7 percent of Green’s total attempts this season, the second-highest mark of his career (the highest was 48.8 percent in the 2015-16 season). Even better, Green is finishing close to 80 percent of his attempts, the best of his career.
This is a good sign to start the season and something Green must continue to do. His job will get easier when Klay Thompson returns. But for now, he must keep applying pressure on the rim and showing no fear to attempt 3-pointers.