Green proved his importance yet again in Game 2
With just a minute gone in Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals, Rudy Gobert looked as if he already had a highlight play. On an alley-oop pass from Shelvin Mack, Gobert was about to slam it down but out of nowhere came Draymond Green, swatting his shot away. Gobert had his highlight, but he was the victim of one instead of being the star. In true Green fashion, he popped up when least expected and made a big play.
It may have only been the start of what would turn out to be a thrilling encounter, but Green’s block set the tone for the night. The Warriors were going to play hard, ensuring they doubled their series lead ahead of Game 3 in Utah on Saturday. The Jazz players would have to get used to Green affecting everything they done on the offensive end, while making them pay for everything they didn’t do defensively. Throughout the season, and especially the playoffs, most of the talk has centred around the importance of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Green has gone unnoticed in comparison to the two superstars, much like he did to Gobert who wasn’t expecting his dunk attempt to end up blocked, but his importance to this Warriors side can’t be understated.
As Golden State pushed the pace going forward, Utah found themselves bemused at times. They didn’t know who they were supposed to be marking or covering. It led to communication breakdowns and defensive confusion. Green and the Warriors were only too happy to take advantage. On all 5 of the three pointers he connected with, there wasn’t a Utah player in sight.
(1Q; 11:12) For the first one, Shelvin Mack and Joe Johnson were too concerned with what Durant was doing that they forgot to account for Green. Curry was running around, assisted by screens, and three Utah defenders were more interested in him than Green as well. The result was an easy three pointer. For the remainder of the game, Utah were resistant to place any emphasis on Green and simply focused on the two top scorers.
(1Q; 10:22) The second bucket was even better again. Klay Thompson was denied at the rim but managed to get his own rebound. Green is open as Johnson offered help in the paint during Thompson’s driving to the basket. He’s slow to get out on Green who is able to step past Gordon Hayward on his way to another three pointer. Instead of attempting to prevent a shot from Green, Hayward is so glued to Durant that the play passes him by.
(1Q; 6:52) One of Green’s 6 assists he had for the night, was also helped by Utah’s passive defence on him. Green is uncovered yet again, and even though Johnson is closer to him than any other Jazz player, he refuses to commit on him, knowing that would leave a free shot for Durant. He feigns a move, attempting to get Green to bite on it, but it’s in vain. Green even passed up this shot, as he seeked out Curry in the corner for a 3 pointer, but it’s another good example of how much space the Jazz were willing to give Draymond.
We could go on and post more graphics of Green’s three pointers, all of which came from similar situations of Utah not giving his outside shooting the attention it deserves, but you get the point by now. For the regular season he may have averaged a disappointing 30% from beyond the arc, but in the playoffs he’s bumped that figure up to 54%, representing a huge increase of 24% and a much better likelihood that his 3pt shots will fall. He’s also averaging a playoff high of 5.7 3PA per game, and is on pace to break his record of 104 attempts in the postseason, taking 33 already in just 6 games. With all this knowledge, it’s a wonder why Jazz head coach Quin Snyder instructed his players to relax when it came to Green’s attempts from downtown.
The problem isn’t that Utah paid too much attention to Curry & Durant. There isn’t a team in the NBA that wouldn’t, or haven’t, placed their defensive strategy around those two. The bemusement comes in the Jazz not giving Green enough attention. Even if you wanted to trap Curry, or double up on Durant, you still have to try and rush Green off the arc, forcing him into the waiting hands of the 7-foot Gobert in the middle. Green is still able to challenge the big man at the rim, and even managed to pull an and-one in the second half, but it’s far better than constantly leaving him open on the perimeter.
Defensively, the 27-year-old was solid as ever. Utah only scored on 2 of 6 shots attempted on Green, who also took up the responsibility of covering Hayware in pick & roll coverage when called upon. He continues to resemble a swiss army knife anytime he steps onto the court, being able to do a lot of everything, which goes unnoticed most nights when Curry, Durant or Thompson pour in 30-40 points. Green won’t mind though. He was the Warriors’ MVP last night, playing a key part in their victory like he has done for the majority of the campaign. More of the same is expected in Utah for Game 3.