Can Draymond Green help Warriors' offense with Steph Curry sidelined?
· Yahoo Sports
The Golden State Warriors found an offensive rhythm without Draymond Green in their last two wins. They're hoping they can retain that rhythm when he returns to their lineup, likely Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Lower back soreness kept Green out of wins over the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, during which the Warriors had offensive ratings of 120.8 (points per 100 possessions) and 134.3, respectively. Sandwiched in between those wins was a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans during which they posted an offensive rating of 103.8 with Green active for 32 minutes.
Their first-half offensive rating against New Orleans – when Green's defender ignored him on the perimeter to patrol the paint and muck up driving lanes, which is how he's often covered, especially when Stephen Curry is out – was 76.5 with Green shooting 2-for-8 and losing his minutes by seven points. He made a catch-and-shoot corner three and drove around a ball screen for a layup.
Three attempts were blocked at the rim, two triples missed and a mid-range missed with Green (averaging 8.5 points per game and shooting 32% on 3-pointers) operating unabated.
A more effective second half for Green featured 3-of-3 shooting with five assists, two offensive rebounds and a personal plus-15. He beat the Pelicans down the floor for a layup and made two layups as a screener and roller. His assists came by way of off-ball actions that caused confusion that he punished with passes.
As a result, the Warriors sported an offensive rating of 127.3 and head coach Steve Kerr said Friday after practice "there are some sets that we can call (to open his offense), doing some of our off-ball stuff and some adjustments that he has to make without Steph. Those are all things we talked about internally and with the whole group and with Draymond individually."
When Green is paired in the lineup with Curry, their two-man actions remain effective. Pick-and-roll actions can open Curry or Green in the short roll for four-on-three attacks that leverage his passing. He also sets crisp off-ball screens for Curry, out the last nine games with runner's knee.
When Al Horford starts at center for Green (as he did against Denver and Memphis) defenses dignify his 3-point shooting (38.3% since his Christmas return) - opening lanes for drivers and cutters also spaced beyond the 3-point arc. He's also a threat to score in the post with traditional size at the center spot while Green has limits as a driver and scorer.
Horford, like Green, is a clever passer who punishes defensive mistakes.
Kerr said with Curry out, Green can focus on crashing the glass, beating defenders up the floor and pushing the pace when he has the ball. "The faster we can play without Steph, the more likely we are to generate a good shot," Kerr said.
Porzingis practices:Newly acquired center Kristaps Porzingis returned to practice after missing the last three games with an illness. Kerr said Friday marked "the first time he's really done much" on the court since he first felt unwell Sunday.
He's questionable to play Saturday against the Lakers. "He's feeling better and he went through the full practice," Kerr said.
Porzingis made his team debut Feb. 19 against the Boston Celtics, posting 12 points in 17 minutes and flashing his inside-out scoring pop.
This article originally published at Can Draymond Green help Warriors' offense with Steph Curry sidelined?.