Draymond Green
Getty
Draymond Green is one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Few NBA players hold as much controversy as Draymond Green does after years of polarizing comments and actions. The Golden State Warriors have become the ultimate winning franchise thanks to Stephen Curry and Green being the core pieces from the 2013 rise to today. Green considers himself a winning basketball player due to his impact being more impressive than his counting stats.
A podcast appearance with Jordan Schultz led to the discussion about whether Green could and would want to average closer to 20 points on a lesser team. Fadeaway Media transcribed Green sharing the following, while throwing shade at players who love stat hunting in losses:
“Could I average 20 on a lottery team? I have no interest in doing that. That’s like you want me to go play bad basketball? How about this? I once averaged 15 on the great team. I don’t know if I have I have that um that mindset anymore. Like, yeah, that’s a mindset that you have to have. And I left that mindset so long ago.”
Green has been mocked for putting up “triple singles” of having single digit stats across points, rebounds, and assists while playing heavy minutes. Curry, Jimmy Butler, and other more skilled offensive players on the roster today should be strongly above Green in the offensive pecking order.
Draymond Green Has Past Scoring Moments
The belief among fans and many players is that improving one’s scoring averages is the best sign of improvement. Green has delivered some strong scoring efforts, when the team really needed it in important games. The infamous 2016 NBA Finals is remembered for many reasons, but Game 7 is what defined that series.
Green delivered 32 points in the most important game of his life, despite the loss due to stars Curry and Klay Thompson struggling to score. Golden State never relied on Green scoring consistently due to his incredible defense and other players needing to create offense for the best-case results.
Green’s career high in points averaged per game is 14.0 back in the aforementioned 2015-2016 season. The Warrior won 73 games due to Green providing a little more offense, but that changed quickly once they added Kevin Durant. Draymond had no reason to put up many shots with three iconic scorers on his roster.
Important Season Coming For Draymond Green
The upcoming season is pivotal for Green, Curry, and Butler as aging veterans hoping to contend for another NBA championship. Golden State posted an impressive 22-5 record when all three veterans played last season. The Warriors have proven they can win with this roster, but they’ll need plenty of good luck through health and other contenders not reaching their full potential.
Green is unlikely to ever pursue scoring at a high level again. Even at his best, he would have topped out around 15 points per game. His recent comments criticizing players who focus on scoring for bad teams stand out more for the mental element of the game.
The former Defensive Player of the Year considers those players to be engaging in “bad basketball” and refuses to sacrifice winning for stats. Green hopes his winning mindset can help the Warriors make at least one more deep run with another championship on the line.