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OAKLAND – At the start of his seventh season with Draymond Green, Stephen Curry has seen and heard almost everything his firebrand teammate has to offer on the field, from defense to rebounding through play and tantrums.
But on Friday night, Green proposed something new.
"Tonight was the first time I saw Draymond apologize for a" heat test, "Curry said after a 120-114 victory over the Cavaliers.
A "heat test" is an impulsive blow that one takes to test the limits of one's rhythm at this precise moment. "How hot am I? He is usually associated with scorers such as Klay Thompson or Curry, two of the best long distance shooters in NBA history.
Green, however, is that of Starter Warriors teams who dare to shoot at will. Please, anyone other than Curry or Thompson or Kevin Durant or DeMarcus Cousins (who sat on Fridays).
The notation is not the forte of Draymond. The warriors ask him a lot and he usually provides. He leads the team on aids and robberies, is second in rebound and third in block. He also defends the five positions, sometimes three in a single possession.
But now he has the gall to add notes to his repertoire. It does not only contribute to the points, it does it also effectively, including from all places, the 3-point line. He scored 20 points, a top in the season, on 8 shots on 14 field, including 3 out of 7 over the bow. He also had eight rebounds and five assists, the kind of stats expected of Green.
If that's how it's going to play, warriors have the ability to torture their opponents in five different ways.
"It's obviously a huge gain in self-confidence, because of the way teams defend us, selecting and choosing the people they are going to hide and where to send help, etc.," Curry said. . "Everyone on the ground must be a threat and be able to finish the games."
Green's percentage of shooting beyond the arc remained in the 20s all season; he entered the game on Friday shooting 28% deep. No need to worry about defending that.
Lately, however, he has splashed at a rate usually reserved for the likes of Curry and Thompson. He has 16 out of 38 (42.1%) players in his last 12 games.
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Green attributes his current shot to feeling healthy and more assertive with his shot, avoiding hesitation, putting his legs in and letting him fly.
This milestone hit the poor Cavaliers, who were ready to give Green every 25 feet he wanted, at the height of their hopeless heads.
"It was the game plan," said Larry Nance, the Cleveland striker charged with defending Green from a distance. "And he shot us."
"Congratulations to him. The other guys go without saying. Steph is Steph, KD is KD, Klay is Klay. And these guys are going to do what they are going to do. Draymond hurt us tonight.
On his third shot in the first 82 seconds – all 3 points – Green finally ran out, after which Curry rejected his apology. After opening the game with three straight points in the first minute, an enchanting surprise for the full-fledged spectators at Oracle Arena, Curry knew that Green had earned that privilege.
After all, he might never have another one.
If Green continues to make deep passes with 40% accuracy, the teams will have no choice. They will have to keep it. They can not risk the collapse to double the DeMarcus Cousins team at the post or Curry blitz at the perimeter.
Curry is everything for this, as is his coach Steve Kerr.
"There are so many other things for us that we do not need him to score," Kerr said about Green. "But when he does, it's the sauce."
For the warriors, yes. For opponents, Green's idea as an effective and productive shooter is a toxin for which there is no antidote.
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