7h ago
Injuries have forced Steve Kerr to consistently use Green as a center back for the first time in 2020-2021. The result? A couple of extraordinary encounters for the former Michigan State, reminding us of his best moments in that type of formation.
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By Juan Estevez
@ JuanEstevez90
For years there was no formation that caused greater panic among the rivals than any of Golden State that had Draymond Green as a pivot, surrounded by four perimeter. Either in the original Warriors with Curry, Thompson, Iguodala and Barnes and not to mention when Durant was added to that group. To such an extent they dominated those alignments that they received the nickname of death formation. It was an ace up his sleeve like no other around the league, which Kerr used to save for specific moments or decisive games.
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Of course, in 2020-2021 the bet of the Californians was being different: to gain height and to always join Green with a natural pivot at his side. Mostly rookie James Wiseman, taken down by Draymond as his mentor, or failing Kevon Looney. Be it one or the other, we had practically not seen that famous small-ball for Golden State during its first 21 games of the season. Rather the complete opposite.
However, the casualties forced Kerr’s hand, forcing him to return to the sources. The Warriors have been completely diminished in their big man rotation, with Wiseman, Looney, Smailagic, Paschall and Chriss injured, leaving Green as the only real inside available. and having to improvise at his side with forwards like Juan Toscano, Andrew Wiggins or Kelly Oubre to meet needs.
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Green came out as the starting pivot in Golden State’s last two meetings and it didn’t take long to show that the magic of those formations remain intact. At least on offense. With four outsiders threatening shooting and cutting to the rim around him, the passing lanes for Draymond have multiplied, contrasting with the more static offense they had when pairing him with Wiseman or Looney. And not only have those download options appeared, but the Saginaw native took advantage of them at an extraordinary rate: He posted 15 assists in Thursday’s win over the Mavs and another 15 in Saturday’s knockdown, also against Carlisle’s.
When the Warriors use Green’s five, his attack becomes absolutely crushing and unmatched around the league. We are talking about an offensive rating of 132.9 points! in 277 sample possessions. They didn’t misread: 132.9 points per 100 possessions … a monumental figure, which ranks as the best in the entire NBA for that range of possessions.
And despite the fact that the points in that scheme usually come from Curry’s hands, it’s impossible not to highlight Green at the very center of that unmatched success: When he shares the court with a pivot, he gives an assist every 8.3 possessions. An already excellent relationship. But when coupled with four perimeter, that ratio improves to one for every 7 possessions. In other words, Draymond is averaging 12 assists per 100 possessions playing four and 14.1 playing five.
The best mark of the 2020-2021 (minimum 500 minutes) belongs to James Harden with 13.9 assists per 100 possessions, so when used as a pivot, Green literally happens to be the best assister in the league.
The impact of that generation of passes from Draymond as five is easily reflected in the scoring of the rest of his teammates. Especially in Curry, Wiggins and Oubre.
Points for 100 Possessions
| Player | Green the 4 | Green the 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | 39,4 | 44,6 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 24,8 | 30,4 |
| Kelly Oubre | 19,9 | 30,3 |
The raise is substantial and directly related to Green’s passing talent., powered by a much more open and dynamic line-up than the one the team had.
Of course, it is not all good news. Because while the Warriors have been able to maintain the success of that death lineup in attack, the defensive story is very different. Those quintets of the past were also dominant in their own field, but this is not the case in 2020-2021: when playing with a green of five they allow 115.7 points per 100 possessions. A rating that appears in the 24th percentile around the league (0 being the worst brand and 100 the best).
That setback shouldn’t be attributed to a big downturn from Draymond on defense. After all, he’s coming off getting no less than 6 steals and 4 blocks in his last outing against Dallas. Rather, it seems to be much more related to what is around it: There is a stark gap between Thompson, Iguodala and Barnes / Durant’s brand performance, offered by players like Wiggins (still progressing), Oubre and company.
It is precisely because of this defensive weakness that Kerr has been escaping the small formations this season, prioritizing strengthening in that field. Something that on the other hand, is getting: today they appear 9th in defense and just 17th in attack among the 30 teams in the competition. But with no other alternatives at his disposal, the coach has had no choice but to appeal to that strategy and at least in one of the areas, to find a totally elite performance.
Will we see Green of five more often when Wiseman and Looney return? If it’s for us neutral viewers, hopefully so. Because if the games against the Mavs made it clear is that despite the passage of time, there are still few proposals more devastating for opposing defenses (and entertaining for the spectators) than these types of alignments.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.