The first time I scored in a basketball game was in third grade.
I remember it vividly, mostly because getting the ball in the basket was and always will be a rarity for me.
The game was over as our team was down by double-digits, but that didn’t take away from my moment of glory. I dribbled from the 3-point line, with my right hand only and head down, to the paint. I chucked the ball up, in a shot that would best be described as a shot-put throw crossed with an epileptic seizure. The ball hung on the rim and tipped in. The crowd went wild and the world kept on turning, only this time Greg Gottfried now found himself in the scorebook with a scribbled “2” alongside his name.
I bring this up for two reasons. One, I love talking about myself in the third-person. And two, every Warriors game this season is as mind-blowing and inconceivable as the first time I scored.
The Warriors are currently 19-0, lead the league in offensive rating, net rating, assist percentage, true shooting percentage, effective field goal percentage and wins in which the other team dies a little bit inside.
Game after game, the Warriors machine comes out swinging, hits threes at an ungodly percentage and rests their starters in the fourth quarter as they lead comfortably. Not only is their dominance improbable, but it’s also borderline unfathomable in a league that prides itself on parity and an abundance of talent.
Yes, Steph Curry is a transcendent talent that utilizes the three-point arc in the same way that Taylor Swift uses her romantic breakups to fuel her songwriting. Yes, their depth is incredible with the flexibility of a gymnast. Yes, their coaching staff is impeccable and as ingenious as my usage of analogies.
But the one integral part that isn’t mentioned enough is Draymond Green.
Michigan State alumnus and now No. 23 for the Golden State Warriors, Green is the X-Factor of X-Factors. Whether it was being a second-round pick, ending up on the perfect team or just his general persona, Green is the quintessential NBA Renaissance Man, as he does just a little bit of everything.
After a ho-hum first season, Green came into his own under then head coach Mark Jackson, in the 2013-14 season, who carved out a role in Green’s flexibility and ability to play off of Curry, yet the forward’s responsibilities were emphasized in the Warriors’ championship run last year.
In a league that used to revolve around traditional post play and big bodies, Green is an anomaly. However, his speed and size allows the Warriors to play small, while also having a player who can guard opposing centers. It’s a tough task, but ever since last season Green has stepped into the spot.
A big part of the Warriors’ success is their much-heralded “Death Lineup,” which consists of Green, Curry, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson. Everyone on the floor can shoot, defend and bring up the ball when called upon.
“Having the versatility in the wings is the glue,” said ESPN analyst Antonio Davis to SBNation. “There’s not many teams that have 3-4 guys that are versatile at so many positions.”
So far this season, Green is averaging 12.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists a game on 48 percent shooting. If these statistics were to hold, this would be only the tenth time all of these parameters have been checked off. The only other players on this list are Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson and Grant Hill.
As the Warriors streak continues, Steph Curry deservedly is basking in the limelight, but it seems only fair that Green receive a little more than just the scraps.
gigottfr@indiana.edu
