Draymond Green gets in shape and turns into a defensive threat

After spending the regular season fighting his teammates (7.4 points per game average) and being ignored by the defenses, Draymond Green removed some old textbooks from his book. heavy backpack and has been featured in the playoffs with an intensity and concentration invisible for almost a year. The Golden State Warriors are 2-0 over the Houston Rockets, although Steph Curry and Klay Thompson shot 11-3. This is because Kevin Durant is functionally thoughtless, but also because Green has made his mark on the show.

Although Green's most important contribution to the Warriors' 115-109 victory in the second game was his impromptu examination of James Harden's optic nerve, his defense spared no effort. Green's understanding of space and timing has been tremendous and has disrupted Houston's selection and deployment strategy. The Warriors and he mixed the looks they gave to Harden, sometimes doubling him, sometimes digging and sometimes playing the lob at Clint Capela. Green and the third defender of help were radical with easy buckets and, more importantly, they forced 31 turnovers twice.

As Steve Jones Jr. pointed out that Green had shown the double to Harden, and then retired for easy flying at the right time:

Green was also happy to run and grab the ball:

Green has been a pro-active defender who has constantly destabilized Houston. Discover here how he harassed Harden by making him try an unlucky lob.

Playing in four consecutive finals is an exhausting experience and Green has clearly won during this regular season. The recovery of his shots was not quite there, and like the rest of his teammates, he had his game in cruise control probably until the Clippers won two games in the first round. Green freely admitted that he was not fit for the bulk of the regular season and when general manager Bob Myers confronted him about his weight earlier this season, he said to his boss that he had a plan. Indeed, Green would have lost 23 pounds in six weeks before the playoffs, and he regained his advantage. Although he did not find his three-point shot, the Warriors do not really need this bonus to succeed. They just need Green to keep making life difficult for their opponents.