Draymond Green’s recent scoring outburst is unlike anything we’ve seen from him in nearly a decade. Green has been heavily promoting his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy this week. However, he’s been underselling his offensive renaissance. The Golden State Warriors needed every one of Green’s 21 points in their 117-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
The earliest sign that Stephen Curry needed a rest should have been when Green led the Warriors' barrage during a 130-104 rout of the Sacramento Kings last week. Green scored a team-high 23 points on a night when Curry mailed in 11 points in 30 minutes.
It marked the first time Green had led the Warriors in scoring since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Fast forward to Thursday night when Green again picked up the slack after Curry exited in the third quarter. Driving into the lane, Curry landed awkwardly on his back after slinging a pass and writhed in pain.
Ultimately, Jimmy Butler made the game-saving block at the end of regulation against Toronto. But it was Green who scored a team-high 21 points, in addition to five assists, seven boards, and four steals. On one hand, Green attempted 18 field goals and misfired often for an ugly 38 percent shooting night. But for Green, it signified a newfound offensive assertiveness.
On the other, 14 of Green's shots were three-pointers. In the aforementioned victory over Sacramento, Draymond dialed into his Klay-mond mindset and drilled 4-of-7 triples.After ending a nine-year drought in leading the Warriors in scoring, Green has now accomplished the feat twice in a week. Most importantly, the Warriors won both contests. They trailed the Raptors by five when Curry walked into the tunnel on Thursday night.
What has gotten into Warriors forward Draymond Green?
Related Golden State Warriors NewsArticle continues below
Mar 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) takes a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Chase Center.
John Hefti-Imagn Images
When Steph is away, Draymond is gonna play on the offensive end. There’s something about an off-kilter or injured Curry that awakens Green’s scoring form. Green’s 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting including 6-of-18 bullseyes from 3-point range in the Warriors infamous Game 7 loss remains his magnum opus.
The acquisition of Butler hasn’t just reignited Curry, but it’s infused Green with a desire to look for his own shot. The Warriors' team synergy depends on every single component maxing out its potential.
The only thing better than an aggressive Green on the defensive end is when he is also manufacturing buckets at a high clip and stressing defenses out. Green's jumper can play peek-a-boo for years at a time, but this week he's wielding it deftly. Green shot nearly 40 percent from three-point range last season, but during the 2024-25 campaign, his shooting from downtown has regressed by eight percentage points.
In the meantime,Curry’s injury will force Green to shoulder a prominent share of the scoring load. All indications have been that this won't impact Curry long-term. But Green’s shooting touch may have to be what elevates the Warriors as they strive to avoid the play-in.