One of the first players Steve Kerr met with before the start of preseason was Draymond Green. At that meeting they discussed various issues related to the new Golden State Warriors course. On a more individual level, the coach has asked his pupil to be more incisive in attack.
“We want him to be more aggressive,” Kerr said in an interview collected by the middle San Francisco Chronicle. “I told him: ‘if you’re open, shoot’.” A message that is based on the precedents and the information collected by the coaching staff.
The Warriors are immaculate 5-0 when the three-time All-Star has scored at least 25 points. This record increases to 33-5 when he has reached the 20-point barrier. 15-4 if we stick exclusively to the past year.
“Draymond is one of the smartest players I’ve ever been with,” added Kerr. What we want from Draymond is for him to be more aggressive and to attack when he’s there. He is our main assistant. It has been for years. He’s the best defender in the league. It does everything. But we are better when looking to score. He is intelligent and knows when to drive to the basket or when to shoot. »
Green closed the 2020-21 season in third place in the voting for the Defender of the Year award, an award he already received in 2017. In addition, he averaged 8.9 assists, the highest record among assistant players ahead of Nikola Jokic (8, 3), brand new MVP of the season.
However, having teammates like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson has pushed him to displace his scoring character to a secondary plane. His top in points dates from the 2015-16 season (14.0) and in the last three years he has not exceeded eight goals per evening.
A request that Green has received with ambition. In fact, the player himself identified this facet as the main one to improve in this new season. “I asked him what he would ask himself if he were in my seat,” said the general manager of the Warriors Bob Myers. “He said, ‘Throw the damn ball. I need you to write down. ‘ And you will not be satisfied. It is not that kind of person. We trust him and he seems motivated himself. “
(Cover photo by Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
