ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — It’s become a familiar paragraph in our recaps: so-and-so missed a (insert variety of missed field goals here), Draymond Green got the defensive rebound, then went coast-to-coast, (insert variety of prosperous finishes for the Golden State Warriors, ranging from a trey from one of the #SplashBrothers to an “and-one” for Green himself).
Tonight against the Utah Jazz, it was this:
Gobert missed from inside, Draymond Green got the defensive rebound, then went coast-to-coast with a backward pass to Andre Iguodala for the two-handed finish.
Last night against the New Orleans Pelicans, it was this:
Green then went coast-to-coast after a jumper by Alexis Ajinca went too hard off back iron and absorbed contact in the paint off the dribble from Cunningham for a floater that went through.
It’s become a staple of the Warriors’ list of weapons. Sure, it’s not as well-known (yet) as a “splash”, or a #MoBucket5 jumper, or even a Klay Thompson side-step three, but it’s moving up the charts.
How did this new development come about?
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s something I’ve developed. It’s just something I’ve been doing more of,” Green told LetsGoWarriors after the victory over the Jazz tonight. “Once you see something have some success, what it does is, once I started getting into the paint, it opens up shooters and once you see it have some success, you want to do it more…It’s just a feel.”
“Draymond has just evolved this year,” said Golden State head coach Steve Kerr at the post-game press conference. “It’s the first year where he’s started and received consistent minutes, and so you can see him just blossom. A guy at his age at this stage in the league, he has to expand (his repertoire). He has to figure out what he can and can’t do.
“It’s not anything we’ve talked about. It’s sort of evolved and he’s finding who he is as an NBA player.”
Green said matter-of-factly of his evolution, “You notice, like, ‘Man, that really worked,’ so do more of it.”
“I think he’s realized as the season’s gone on how much faster he is than 4-men and 5-men,” Kerr added. “When he gets the ball in transition, he’s got two of the best shooters in the world, generally, and so when he attacks the lane, people aren’t helping as much and he’s a great finisher.”
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